Join us in-person and online for the 2021 Annual Bar and Young Bar Conference

We are pleased to announce that the Bar’s flagship event for 2021 is now open for booking, and will see a welcome return to the profession coming together in-person as well as online.

Held over three days of online sessions and a full in-person Saturday programme at the Grand Connaught Rooms in London, this year’s event focuses on recovery, growth and transformation after almost two years of crisis. Join expert speakers and colleagues from across the Bar to explore key issues including the developing role of technology, what barristers’ business development now looks like, how working practices have been adapted and what is happening with access to the Bar.

Book your place to join us online, in-person or via live stream to join the debate.

Criminal cases continue to pile up

The latest quarterly criminal courts statistics (January-March 2021) have shown the backlog in the Crown Court and Magistrates’ Court is increasing, prompting the Bar Council to warn that victims, defendants, witnesses and their families’ lives are being put on hold. The Bar Council has called for long-term, sustained investment in the courts.

Bar Council: Sexual harassment sanctions must be a genuine deterrent

The Bar Council has said that the Bar Tribunals Adjudication Service (BTAS) should look again at some of the less robust elements of its proposals to reform the sanctions regime otherwise it would be a missed opportunity to make sanctions against sexual harassment at the Bar a genuine deterrent.

Yes to CJS investment, no to smaller juries says Bar Council

The Bar Council has backed long-term investment as the answer to tackling the growing backlog of cases in the criminal justice system, warning that it is not clear that smaller juries will make any impact. The comments came from the Chair of the Bar, Derek Sweeting QC, in response to comments made by the Lord Chief Justice, Lord Burnett of Maldon, about the state of the criminal justice system.

Revealed: What are barristers reading about?

Find out which articles from the previous edition of BarTalk are the most popular amongst the Bar.

The top five most popular BarTalk articles, in order, were:

1. Hybrid working at the Bar
2. Trans Inclusion Statement
3. Getting paid - family legal aid tips
4. Roadmap for chambers return
5. Tips on criminal legal aid pay

Commonwealth lawyers join calls for China to withdraw sanctions

The Commonwealth Lawyers Association and the Bar Council have jointly called upon the Government of the People’s Republic of China to review and withdraw the sanctions imposed on legal practitioners. The joint statement follows a similar call by the four professional bodies of barristers and advocates of the United Kingdom and Ireland in April.

Bar Council meeting: Four Bars + Solicitor General on the bill

The Solicitor General, The Rt Hon Lucy Frazer QC MP, and the leaders of the other three Bars of the UK and Ireland will all be giving keynote speeches at the next meeting of the Bar Council on 10 July. Follow the discussion live on Twitter via #BarCouncil and #BarCouncilLive.

Act now on judicial bullying

Survey alert

Have you prosecuted/defended someone with ASD/learning difficulties/severe mental health problems accused of assaulting or abusing a police officer or NHS worker? Do you think the CJS process could be improved? If so, Transform Justice wants to hear from you.

What does the Bar Council's Young Barristers' Committee do?

Listen to the latest Get Legally Speaking podcast interview with Joanne Kane, Chair of the Bar Council’s Young Barristers’ Committee (YBC), to find out what the committee does for the profession.

HMCTS wants to hear from you

HMCTS is gathering feedback about how it communicates and engages with professionals who work in courts and tribunals.

Parliamentary update

The Bar Council met with Government officials and its Shadow counterparts to discuss the rape review report. We briefed members of the House of Lords on the Environment Billahead of Committee Stage with the result of our recommendations being tabled as amendments. The Joint Committee on Human Rights published its report ‘Legislative scrutiny: Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill, Part 3 (Public Order)’ which referenced the Bar Council’s submission to the Bill Committee. In addition, Danielle Manson (barrister and Bar Council social mobility advocate) gave evidence to the committee on the youth justice aspect of the Bill. It can be watched here. The Justice Select Committee heard from Lord Kakkar, Chair of the Judicial Appointments Commission, about judicial diversity.

Blog: Getting paid - top tips on civil (non-family) legal aid

The Bar Council’s Adrian Vincent, Head of Policy: Legal Practice and Remuneration, pulls together the highlights from the recent Bar Council Civil (non-family) Legal Aid Billing seminar on how civil practitioners can make sure they get paid for their work. Adrian collates key points from the session which saw the Legal Aid Agency as well as solicitors and barristers share advice on billing for civil work.

This is the third of a series of blogs from the Bar Council’s legal aid billing seminars, which also included sessions on criminal legal aid and family legal aid.

Guest blog: Working together to improve diversity, inclusion and progression for those who prosecute for the CPS

Guest blog: New ways of working can reduce the Bar’s environmental footprint

Guest blog: Pin your support against bullying and harassment

UK-EU TCA disputes

The government is seeking people to appoint to lists of arbitrators and expert panellists for the dispute settlement mechanisms within the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA).

Opportunities in International Criminal Law

8 July 2021, 17:30-18:30

Online

The Bar Council and the Criminal Bar Association invite you to a free webinar looking at opportunities for barristers in international criminal law practice at courts and tribunals.

Free LexisNexis sample webinar: Lateral Thinking Skills

On demand

In partnership with the Bar Council, LexisNexis has made their Lateral Thinking Skills webinar free of charge for barristers to watch on demand, for a limited time only. Watch the webinar, find out more about the LexisNexis webinar range and take advantage of discounts available for the Bar.