NOTHING IN THE LANGUAGE EXCLUDES ADMISSION OF WOMEN’: KC ISSUES OPINION ON GARRICK CLUB RULES

A senior lawyer has issued a legal opinion saying that the current rules at the men-only Garrick Club do not in fact bar women from being members.

David Pannick KC, who led the successful Brexit article 50 case against the government and has also represented Boris Johnson, was commissioned by Garrick members who are in favour of women being allowed membership of the London gentlemen’s club.

While the club has repeatedly blocked attempts by women to join, a team led by Pannick concluded: “In our view, the language of the rules is clear. There is no prohibition on the admission of female members …

“There is nothing in the language of the rules which excludes the admission of women as members. Indeed… there is no restriction of the proposal of candidates for membership to men.Although the language … is phrased by reference to the masculine (‘No candidate shall be eligible unless he be proposed’), it is entirely within the ordinary use of English language that a reference to the masculine denotes the feminine unless the context otherwise requires.”

The emergence of the legal opinion comes after the Guardian revealed that members of the 193-year-old club include King Charles, senior judges and the heads of publicly funded arts institutions and 10 MPs. Simon Case, the head of the civil service, and Richard Moore, the head of MI6, resigned on Wednesday amid pressure over their membership.