According to a legal opinion made by a prominent lawyer, it has been determined that the existing regulations of the Garrick Club, which is exclusively for men, do not effectively prohibit women from becoming members.
IN SHORT
Legal Opinion on Garrick Club Rules: Women’s Membership Eligibility
- David Pannick KC, a senior lawyer, has issued a legal opinion stating that the current rules at the men-only Garrick Club do not bar women from being members.
- Pannick argues that the only counterindication to the understanding that the masculine includes the feminine is the use of “he/she” when referring to the club secretary.
- The team concluded that the rules’ language is clear, and there is no prohibition on the admission of female members.
- The club’s objectives do not indicate that it is a club for the patronage or interest of men only.
- The second analysis concludes that women are eligible for membership.
- Actor Stephen Fry, MI6 head Moore, and about 20 others sign the letter, urging the club to circulate Beloff’s 2011 and 2022 opinions.
Members of the Garrick asked David Pannick KC, who led the winning Brexit Article 50 case against the government and defended Boris Johnson, to make the case for women being able to join the London Gentlemen’s Club. Pannick thinks that the use of “he/she” when talking about the club secretary is the only thing that goes against the idea that manly includes feminine. The club has repeatedly rejected women’s attempts to join. However, a group under the leadership of Pannick discovered that the rules are unambiguous and there’s no reason why women can’t join.
The same members who hired him stated in a letter earlier this month that the club would not share Michael Beloff’s revised 2022 view. This was before Pannick’s analysis. Pannick’s analysis suggests that a court case on the subject would likely incur significant costs. The fact that there are no other pronouns does not, however, mean that there is objective question about whether a member can be female.
The new study is the second to say that women can become members. The first was done by Michael Beloff KC in 2022. Moore, Stephen Fry, and approximately 20 others signed the letter, requesting the club to disseminate Beloff’s perspectives from both 2011 and 2022. This would clear up the main source of confusion in the club about the legal status of women’s membership, which is currently causing harm and division.