Category: barristers

IWD series part 3: community and belonging at the Bar – Law Pod UK

Posted March 12th, 2025 in barristers, gender, news, podcasts, women by Lily

‘LawPod UK is marking International Women’s Day by bringing you the final episode of its three-part series exploring gender at the Bar. In this series, Lucy McCann and Rajkiran Arhestey speak to Lady Justice Whipple, Sally Smith KC, Clodagh Bradley KC, Cara Guthrie, Judith Rogerson, Isabel McArdle, Emma-Louise Fenelon and Chloe Turvill about their experiences, in the hope of drawing out some key reflections and continuing the conversation about gender and the profession.’

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Law Pod UK, 8th March 2025

Source: audioboom.com

Judge throws out skeleton argument for being three times too long – Legal Futures

Posted March 10th, 2025 in barristers, case management, drafting, news, skeleton arguments by tracey

‘The High Court has refused to admit a skeleton argument that was three times the length it should have been, and ranged beyond the confines of what it should have done.’

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Legal Futures, 10th March 2025

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Black barristers face a “concrete ceiling”, says BBN chair – Legal Futures

Posted March 10th, 2025 in barristers, diversity, equality, king's counsel, minorities, news, remuneration by tracey

‘The focus on access to the Bar in equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) efforts is “low-hanging fruit” that ignores the bigger problem of progression, the chair of the Black Barristers Network said last week.’

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Legal Futures, 10th March 2025

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

“Time to review” selection and return to practice of salaried judges – Legal Futures

Posted February 28th, 2025 in barristers, judges, judicial appointments commission, judiciary, Ministry of Justice, news, statistics by Lily

‘A report for the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has called for a review of the selection process used by the Judicial Appointments Commission (JAC) for salaried judges. It also called for new guidance from the MoJ on whether salaried judges should be allowed to return to practice after leaving the bench.’

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Legal Futures, 28th February 2025

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Law firm ordered to pay wasted costs after failing to instruct counsel – Legal Futures

Posted February 25th, 2025 in barristers, costs, families, family courts, law firms, legal representation, negligence, news, solicitors, Solicitors Regulation Authority by tracey

‘A law firm was negligent in failing to prepare for a three-day hearing or instruct counsel for it, a Family Court judge has ruled in making a wasted costs order.’

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Legal Futures, 25th February 2025

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

High court orders legal aid firm to pay costs in family case – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted February 25th, 2025 in barristers, costs, families, family courts, law firms, legal representation, negligence, news, solicitors, Solicitors Regulation Authority by tracey

‘A family law firm has been ordered to pay costs of the other party after the High Court found it was negligent in the preparation of a family case for a three-day hearing.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 24th February 2025

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Barristers win 25% increase in rates for government work – Legal Futures

Posted February 24th, 2025 in barristers, fees, government departments, news, remuneration by tracey

‘Barristers doing government work will see a 25% increase in rates from 1 April, in some cases the first rise since the panels were first introduced in 1997.’

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Legal Futures, 24th February 2025

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

‘Venomous’ attacks on attorney general undermining rule of law, say UK lawyers – The Guardian

Posted February 19th, 2025 in attorney general, barristers, criminal justice, legal profession, news, rule of law by tracey

‘Senior lawyers have condemned the “venomous” and “deeply personal” attacks on the attorney general, Richard Hermer, saying they were causing “immense and untold damage” to society and the rule of law.’

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The Guardian, 18th February 2025

Source: www.theguardian.com

Legal centre and barrister cleared of negligence after five-year fight – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted February 18th, 2025 in barristers, debts, forfeiture, housing, legal advice, local government, negligence, news, rent, repossession, service charges by tracey

‘The High Court has dismissed negligence allegations which had been hanging over a barrister and legal advice centre for more than five years.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 17th February 2025

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

BSB chief: Barristers must be “circumspect” in exercising free speech – Legal Futures

Posted February 10th, 2025 in barristers, disciplinary procedures, freedom of expression, human rights, news, professional conduct by tracey

‘Barristers must be “circumspect” in exercising their free speech when speaking about controversial matters, the director general of the Bar Standards Board (BSB) has said.’

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Legal Futures, 10th February 2025

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

New bar statistics show continuing ‘differential outcomes’ – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted February 10th, 2025 in barristers, diversity, equality, legal education, news, ombudsmen, pupillage, statistics by tracey

‘Black students are less likely to pass the barristers’ training course or secure pupillage than their white counterparts, according to analysis published by the profession’s watchdog. The Bar Standards Boards’ data also showed a 10% rise in the number of students enrolled on bar training courses over the past five years, rising from 1,685 in 2019/2020 to 2,406 in 2023/24. The increase may lead to a lower proportion of students going on to pupillage without a proportionate rise in places available, it warned.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 10th February 2025

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Send first-time, low-level offenders to rehab instead of court, Bar Council says – The Guardian

Posted February 7th, 2025 in barristers, compensation, courts, criminal justice, Crown Court, delay, juries, news, prisons, rehabilitation, trials by Lily

‘First-time perpetrators of low-level crimes should be diverted from trials by paying compensation to victims or enrolling in rehabilitation to solve the courts crisis, the Bar Council has said.’

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The Guardian, 6th February 2025

Source: www.theguardian.com

Juryless trials ‘not the answer’ to court crisis, barristers warn – The Bar Council

Posted February 7th, 2025 in barristers, compensation, criminal justice, Crown Court, delay, juries, news, rehabilitation, trials by Lily

‘Removing the right to a jury trial “is not the answer” and risks making the crisis facing the criminal justice system worse, barristers have warned.’

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The Bar Council, 6th February 2025

Source: www.barcouncil.org.uk

BSB: No need for “anxiety” over barrister training standards – Legal Futures

Posted February 4th, 2025 in barristers, legal education, news, pupillage, statistics by tracey

‘The evidence “does not support anxiety about standards” for qualifying as a barrister, the Bar Standards Board (BSB) has said.’

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Legal Futures, 4th February 2025

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

BSB publishes its Annual Report to the Board on Bar Training and a report on Bar Training statistics – Bar Standards Board

Posted February 4th, 2025 in barristers, legal education, news, pupillage, statistics by tracey

‘The Bar Standards Board (BSB) has today published its third Annual Report to the Board on Bar Training covering the period from December 2023 to November 2024 along with a further report containing statistics on enrolment, results, and student progression overall.’

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Bar Standards Board, 3rd February 2025

Source: www.barstandardsboard.org.uk

BSB publishes its Annual Diversity at the Bar Report – Bar Standards Board

Posted February 3rd, 2025 in barristers, diversity, news, reports by tracey

‘The Bar Standards Board (BSB) has today published its annual summary of the latest available diversity data for the Bar. It covers pupils, practising King’s Counsel – KC – and practising non-KC barristers. Last year’s report is available on the BSB website.This report assists the BSB in meeting its statutory duties under the Equality Act 2010 and sets out an evidence base from which relevant and targeted policy can be developed.’

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Bar Standards Board, 31st January 2025

Source: www.barstandardsboard.org.uk

Veteran barrister disbarred for ‘recklessly misleading’ tribunal – Legal Futures

Posted January 31st, 2025 in barristers, disciplinary procedures, immigration, judicial review, news, professional conduct, tribunals by Lily

‘A veteran barrister who attempted to recklessly mislead the court and failed to provide his direct access client with a competent service has been disbarred.’

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Legal Futures, 29th January 2025

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Man ordered to pay £10,000 costs for failed LeO judicial review – Legal Futures

Posted January 23rd, 2025 in barristers, complaints, costs, executors, judicial review, legal ombudsman, news, solicitors by sally

‘A man whose application for permission to bring a judicial review against the Legal Ombudsman (LeO) was certified as totally without merit has been ordered to pay £10,000 in costs.’

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Legal Futures, 23rd January 2025

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Barristers call for radical rethink on ‘tough’ sentencing – The Bar Council

Posted January 20th, 2025 in barristers, criminal justice, news, sentencing by tracey

‘Successive governments’ “tough on crime” pledges will not be met through longer prison sentences, the Bar Council argues in a new submission to the sentencing review.
In response to the Gauke review’s call for evidence, the Bar Council’s submission – written by a working group of criminal barristers – points to the fact that while sentences have been getting longer, the latest data from the ONS shows an increase in almost every area of crime.’

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The Bar Council, 19th January 2025

Source: www.barcouncil.org.uk

Over-zealous barristers employing “ethically questionable” tactics – Legal Futures

Posted January 16th, 2025 in barristers, news, professional conduct, standards by sally

‘Barristers may “sometimes allow their zeal to advance a client’s interests to embrace tactics which are ethically questionable”, the Bar Standards Board (BSB) said yesterday.’

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Legal Futures, 16th January 2025

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk