‘The Legal Services Board has published a withering review of the bar’s regulator, saying it places the interests of barristers ahead of the public and appears to be failing in its duty to improve access to justice.’
Law Society's Gazette, 1st July 2021
Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk
‘The Bar Council has encouraged barristers to speak up about judicial bullying, following an anecdotal rise in judges making lawyers cry in court. The representative body is due to meet with the judiciary’s equality and diversity lead this week to discuss the types of incidents involving judges that get reported and the impact they have on barristers.’
Law Society's Gazette, 2nd July 2021
Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk
‘Lawyers should have to take online tests every 10 years to prove that they remain competent in their specialist fields, Sarah Chambers, chair of the Legal Services Consumer Panel (LSCP), said yesterday.’
Legal Futures, 30th June 2021
Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk
‘A collective submission made by special advocates (security-cleared barristers who appear in secret proceedings) has been cleared for publication. This document is a response to the review being performed by Sir Duncan Ouseley, looking into the operation of closed material procedures (CMPs) under the Justice and Security Act 2013. It gives an unprecedented insight into the workings and challenges of these procedures, which enable the State to rely on secret material not shown to the other side in court proceedings.’
UK Human Rights Blog, 27th June 2021
Source: ukhumanrightsblog.com
‘A barrister has spoken about her “really positive” recent experiences of courts accommodating “the practicalities and balancing acts being carried out by those with children”.’
Legal Futures, 24th June 2021
Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk
‘Issues such as provocation, spontaneity and whether an incident was a “one-off” should not be factors that reduce sanctions for sexual misconduct by barristers, the Bar Council has urged.’
Legal Futures, 22nd June 2021
Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk
‘A QC has described how going through an early menopause at the age of 37 made her feel she was “losing her mind” and left her a “hair’s breadth away” from leaving the Bar.’
Legal Futures, 17th June 2021
Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk
‘Barristers suspended for sexual misconduct should face conditions when they returning to practice, such as bans from taking pupils or being featured in legal directories, a campaigning group has recommended.’
Legal Futures, 15th June 2021
Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk
‘A female victim of sexual assault by a male barrister has spoken about how she was let down by her chambers, the Bar Standards Board (BSB) and the Bar Tribunals and Adjudication Service (BTAS)’
Legal Futures, 14th June 2021
Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk
‘Remote juries could jeopardise the security of court proceedings, alienate participants, and prove more expensive than in-person hearings, the Law Society has warned.’
Law Society's Gazette, 10th June 2021
Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk
‘The group Black Women in Law has called on fellow lawyers to be an “example of anti-racism in action” by challenging racism whenever they see it and wherever they hear it.’
Legal Futures, 9th June 2021
Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk
‘Karin Walker, Founder of KGW Family Law, provides a guide to help family lawyers identify and manage narcissistic behaviour in any divorce or separation.’
Family Law Week, 4th June 2021
Source: www.familylawweek.co.uk
‘Measures taken by frontline legal regulators to improve diversity and inclusion are insufficient and based on inadequate evidence, according to a report published by the Legal Services Board (LSB).’
Legal Futures, 28th May 2021
Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk
‘The supreme court has announced its first paid internships for aspiring lawyers from underrepresented communities as it seeks to increase diversity in the judiciary. The initiative by the UK’s highest court, in collaboration with the charity Bridging the Bar, comes as the supreme court, judiciary and legal profession more widely face scrutiny over accessibility.’
The Guardian, 27th May 2021
Source: www.theguardian.com
‘A High Court judge has struck out a £58m unlawful means conspiracy claim against a law firm, four solicitors and a QC, which she described as “structurally fatally flawed, abusive and lacking in pleadable substance”.’
Legal Futures, 25th May 2021
Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk
‘A barrister sanctioned for talking to the opposing lay client in the absence of their lawyer had switched from criminal to family law and “was simply not on top” of the rules, it has emerged.’
Legal Futures, 24th May 2021
Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk
‘In April 2020, the Bar Council predicted that 80% of chambers would collapse within a year without urgent financial aid. More than a year on, the pandemic persists – as do the vast majority of chambers. Were the early warnings overblown, or is the future of the bar still at risk?’
Law Society's Gazette, 24th May 2021
Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk
‘The Bar Council has suggested that the Legal Services Board is exceeding its remit, citing the super-regulator’s “surprising” plans to reshape the justice sector.’
Law Society's Gazette, 24th May 2021
Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk
‘Only half of family law professionals feel secure in their jobs right now, while a quarter are actively considering leaving the profession due to wellbeing concerns, major research has found.’
Family Law, 21st May 2021
Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk
‘A barrister whose actions in speaking to the opposing lay client in the absence of their lawyer led a court to adjourn a hearing has been sanctioned by a disciplinary tribunal.’
Legal Futures, 14th May 2021
Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk
