Issue 144 | 15 October 2020
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Bar Council demands apology after PM and Home Secretary’s anti-lawyer remarks
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 The Bar Council has hit back, along with the Law Society and the Faculty of Advocates, following inflammatory comments made by both the Home Secretary and the Prime Minister.
Not for the first time the Chair of the Bar, Amanda Pinto QC, warned off the Home Secretary, Priti Patel, after her reference to “leftie lawyers” blocking her asylum plans. The Chair of the Bar stepped in again just days later with a letter to the Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, after he had used his Conservative Party Conference speech to blame “leftie lawyers” for having “hamstrung” the criminal justice system.
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When The Observer broke the news on Sunday that in early September a law firm had been the target of a knife attack following previous comments made by the Home Secretary regarding “ activist lawyers”, the Chair of the Bar issued a statement demanding an immediate retraction of both the Prime Minister and the Home Secretary’s recent attacks on lawyers.
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Annual Bar and Young Bar Conference: NEW SESSION ANNOUNCED
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Bar Council Book Club: A spotlight on Justice
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Join Chair of the Bar, Amanda Pinto QC, Alexandra Wilson (author of ‘In Black and White’), The Secret Barrister (author of ‘The Secret Barrister’ and ‘Fake Law’) and Sarah Langford (author of ‘In Your Defence’) at the Bar Council’s first virtual book club.
The session will feature some of our most impressive barrister-authors with recently published works speaking about the justice system and their personal experiences of it, with lively discussion on how to address problems with the administration of justice and diversifying the profession.
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Forget Trump and Biden, vote Bar Council 2021
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The candidates who are standing in the election for the 2021 Bar Council have been announced. Three categories are going to ballot:
- Self-employed Juniors over seven years in practice
- Self-employed Juniors under seven years in practice
- Employed QCs or Juniors over seven years in practice
You are invited to vote regardless of whether you are an employed or self-employed barrister.
Online voting has opened via MyBar and votes must be cast by 10:00 on Monday 19 October 2020.
Read the candidate statements
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Could your chambers or organisation benefit from the Government’s new Kickstart Scheme?
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Earlier this year, as part of the Chancellor’s Plans for Jobs, the Government’s new Kickstart Scheme was announced. It’s been billed as an innovative new scheme to help young people who are on Universal Credit and at risk of long-term unemployment get back into the workplace and improve their chances of finding more permanent roles.
Under the scheme, employers can offer eligible young people a six-month work placement, in a new role that will be fully funded by the government. Unfortunately, there’s a catch. Employers must be able to offer at least 30 placements, unless they make a bid through an intermediary such as the Bar Council.
We think that this represents a wonderful opportunity for our members to grow their respective workforces at no additional cost, whilst also improving the career prospects of some of the most vulnerable young people in our society. If your chambers or organisation would consider participating and would like further information about the scheme, please register your interest with our Head of Services, Carolyn Entwistle, at .
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No change to courts under new Covid-19 restrictions
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HMCTS has confirmed that courts and tribunals will continue to operate within Covid-secure guidelines. There are currently no plans to change scheduled hearings.
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Anonymously calling out harassment and bullying
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 In light of the Bar Standards Board’s recent YouGov study into harassment, bullying and discrimination, barristers are reminded that they can report such inappropriate behaviour confidentially and anonymously if they have been victims of such behaviour or they have witnessed it, via the Bar Council’s online tool, Talk to Spot.
If you have witnessed an incident or inappropriate behaviour, you can anonymously make a record of it. This record can then be reported to the relevant authorities or sent to the team at the Bar Council, as you see fit.
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Applications flood in for new Bar Council Leadership Programme
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A total of 118 applications were received by the Bar Council from barristers eager to join the new Leadership Programme in its first year. Just 36 places on the initiative are available.
Bar Council’s Leadership Programme is open to those barristers between seven and 15 years of practice, to learn more about themselves as leaders, network with a cohort of leaders, and gain the confidence, skills and insights to shape the culture of the Bar, as well as make it a more inclusive profession.
The 36 selected will soon begin an eight-month programme of development.
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More than 3,000 students to attend ‘virtual’ Pupillage Fair
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For the first time, the Bar Council’s Pupillage Fair, which takes place this Saturday (17 October), will be entirely virtual. More than 3,000 students have registered and 77 chambers and other organisations will be exhibiting online, alongside a packed programme of workshops and seminars.
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New Brexit guidance: Preparing for the end of the Transition Period
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The UK is now in the latter stages of the Transition Period, which will end at 23.00 on 31 December 2020. This will have an immediate impact on the practice of many members of the Bar - even some who would not consider themselves to be EU practitioners.
In order to help barristers prepare for this change, the Bar Council’s Future Relationship Working Group (FRWG) is developing a set of FAQs, presented in four parts: implications for your practice rights, case management, specifically with regard to cases before the CJEU or the domestic courts of EEA Member States; key substantive and procedural law changes and career and study choices. These will be updated as more is known. The first of these, on practice rights, is published today in BarTalk.
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The Internal Market Bill will progress through the House of Lords next week and the Bar Council will brief Peers ahead of the Second Reading. Over the last few weeks we have met with a number of MPs including Rt Hon Hilary Benn MP (Chair of the Committee on the Future Relationship with the EU), Bob Neill (Chair of the Justice Select Committee), Andy Slaughter MP (former barrister and MP for Hammersmith) and Rehman Chishti MP (former criminal barrister and MP for Gillingham and Rainham). Issues discussed include the rule of law, Internal Market Bill, criminal legal aid and the spending review.
The Bar Council has submitted a supplementary note to the Justice Select Committee’s inquiry into court capacity. The Lords Constitution Committee heard from the Lord Chancellor on the UK’s Internal Market Bill (legislative scrutiny). We briefed members ahead of the session and it can be watched here.
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Guest blog: “We want to make sure women have a reason to remain at the Bar”
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With the arrival of the newly-formed Themis: The Intersectional Women Barristers' Alliance, its three co-founders, Margherita Cornaglia, Ailsa McKeon and Luna Spada, guest blog for BarTalk on why intersectionality is so important in pushing for equal opportunities, equal access to the Bar and equal progression within the profession.
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Guest blog: The expected benefits of the new Sentencing Code
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Dominic Lewis and Alexandra Robson, of the Bar Council’s Law Reform Committee, look at the benefits expected of the new Sentencing Code, which began as a vast area of work for the Law Commission, and is now awaiting Royal Assent.
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Black History Month spotlight: Diversity on the Midland Circuit
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Karen Kabweru-Namulemu, Midland Circuit rep on the Bar Council’s Race Working Group, writes about local initiatives to improve racial diversity and access to the Bar in the Midlands.
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Guest blog: Safe Spaces – raising concerns about safety at the Bar
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Sophie Garner, barrister and mediator at St Philips Chambers, writes about how the Bar Council is using Talk to Spot to paint a picture of how barristers are being put at risk in court, and how you can help real action to be taken.
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Guest blog: Lessons learned from implementing a successful diversity initiative
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“They just don’t apply”, “we only choose the best” . If these are responses that you and/or colleagues in chambers use when asked why there is little to no diversity among members, or why all your pupils look the same, then quite frankly the issue starts with you.”
Adeola Fadipe, pupil barrister at Outer Temple Chambers, writes about things she learnt when setting up her own diversity initiative, BME Legal, which can help chambers to recruit and retain diverse talent.
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Bar Council representatives for the AG’s Regional Panel Selection Boards (two positions)
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The Legal Aid Agency is inviting barristers to join the Legal Aid Review Panel, which considers appeals against certain LAA decisions including those relating to claims for costs.
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Attorney General’s Civil Panel Counsel - Regional A, B and C Panels
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The Attorney General is seeking to appoint new members to three of her panels of junior counsel, the Regional A, B and C Panels, to undertake civil work for government departments.
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The Selden Society with the four Inns of Court: The Fire Courts: Successfully Delivering Justice in a Time of Plague and Fire, By Professor Jay Tidmarsh, Notre Dame Law School (online)
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Wednesday 21 October 2020, 17.30-19.00
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Tickets are free but booking essential @ www.innertemple.org.uk/firecourts (non-members: please scroll below the blue Members Login box, and click Add Tickets). Open to all. Enquiries:
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English Law Day Colombia
26-28 October 2020
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Barristers should register for the event as a ‘member’ to gain full networking benefits.
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Bar Council Brexit end of transition seminars
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The Bar Council, in collaboration with the Ministry of Justice, is offering two seminars in October to discuss the end of the transition period and what it means for barristers with a cross-border legal practice in relation to the European Union.
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Preparing for the End of Transition (EU membership) - Cross-border practice issues
27 October 17.00 – 18.00
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This seminar will discuss what legal services barristers can provide in EU Member States post-transition and relevant regulatory and immigration hurdles.
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Preparing for the End of Transition (EU membership) - Substantive law issues
29 October 17.00 – 18.00
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In this event we will consider practical issues arising in relation to recognition and enforcement of judgments as well as the evolving situation in relation to barristers’ client data transfers.
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Government Legal Department Race Network – Black History Month series
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Friday 30 October 2020, 14:30 – 15:30
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In Black and White: A Young Barrister’s Story of Race and Class in a Broken Justice System – Alexandra Wilson
Register here
Password - GLD2020
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Lex Mex legal update
3-5 November 2020
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Social Context of the Law Series: The Inner Temple and the Rule of Law: The Life of Helmuth von Moltke (online)
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23 November 2020, 17.30-19.00
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Patrick O'Connor QC (Doughty Street Chambers, Inner Temple Bencher). Introduction by The Rt Hon Sir Konrad Schiemann (Lord Justice of Appeal (1995–2004), judge of the CJEU (2004–12), Inner Temple Bencher). Followed by Q&A.
Book at www.innertemple.org.uk/socialcontext (non-members: please scroll below the blue Members Login box, and click Add Tickets). Open to all. Enquiries: (1 hour CPD)
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Ministry of Justice UK-Africa Legal Services Virtual Trade Mission
1-3 December 2020
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Register your interest , with the subject line ‘UK-Africa virtual trade mission EOI.’
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The Bar Council (England and Wales) · 289-293 High Holborn
London, London WC1V7HZ · United Kingdom
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