The Bar Council

• The Bar’s high quality specialist advocacy and advisory services
• Fair access to justice for all
• The highest standards of ethics, equality and diversity across the profession, and
• The development of business opportunities for barristers at home and abroad.

The General Council of the Bar is the Approved Regulator of the Bar of England and Wales. It discharges its regulatory functions through the independent Bar Standards Board.

• Public Access Training from Member Services
• Prepare for Change
• Find a Barrister
• 3rd Six Pupillage Vacancies
• Member Benefits
• Legal Ombudsman Service
• CPD Courses and Events

News

Bar Council - Private Legal Advice Must be Protected
(2 February 2012)

Following a report published today by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) on the use of undercover police officers, the Bar Council, which represents barristers in England and Wales, has urged the Government to protect the fundamental right of citizens to hold private conversations with their lawyers.

Bar Council and Bar Standards Board Release Barristers' Working Lives Survey Results
(31 January 2012)

The Bar Council, which represents barristers in England and Wales, and the Bar Standards Board (BSB), the regulator of barristers in England and Wales, have today released the results of Barristers' Working Lives, the first in a planned series of biennial surveys of the Bar.

Bar Council and Criminal Bar Association Lead on EU Factsheet on Defendants' Rights
(30 January 2012)

The Bar Council, which represents barristers in England and Wales, and the Criminal Bar Association (CBA) have played a leading role in the development of a factsheet which outlines the rights of defendants in the English and Welsh justice system.

Bar Council Urges Government to Amend Civil Litigation Reforms
(30 January 2012)

As Peers debate reforms to civil litigation funding within Part 2 of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders (LASPO) Bill, the Bar Council, which represents barristers in England and Wales, has urged the Government to consider seriously its alternative proposals for reform.

Bar Council Welcomes CPS Panel Appointments
(19 January 2012)

The Bar Council, which represents barristers in England and Wales, has welcomed the Crown Prosecution Service’s (CPS) announcement regarding appointments to its new Advocacy Panel. However, it has acknowledged the length of time taken to reach this stage, as many practitioners have faced an uncertain future, at a time of increasing pressure on their services.

Bar Council and Bar Standards Board Publish 'Bar Barometer' Report on the Profession
(18 January 2012)

The Bar Council, which represents barristers in England and Wales, and the Bar Standards Board (BSB), the regulator of barristers in England and Wales, have today published the first full edition of Bar Barometer, an annual report on statistical trends within the Bar.