Post by Emer Brownleader

Incredibly grateful to have just spent a couple of days judicial marshalling at the First Tier Tax Tribunal at Taylor House, and even more so to have had the opportunity to shadow Judge Donmall throughout the duration of the case. Watching proceedings from that vantage point is a genuinely rare privilege. Seeing how a judge manages a hearing was enormously instructive in a way that reading cases or sitting in the public gallery simply can't replicate. What struck me most was observing how Judge Donmall questioned witnesses, drawing out the evidence that truly mattered while keeping the hearing focused and fair. Equally fascinating was seeing how decisions take shape in real time, weighing the law against the facts as they emerge rather than in the abstract. This wasn't my first time at Taylor House. I've had the chance to marshall there before, and I'm delighted to be returning. Each experience has deepened my understanding in ways I hadn't anticipated. Thank you to Judge Donmall for being so generous with your time and insights throughout. I'll be taking a great deal away from this.