Guidance

How to use this Guidance

The Bar Council and Bar Standards Board have published in excess of 150 pieces of Guidance on ethical and practice related queries, including the material contained in the Frequently Asked Questions.  Please note that following the significant changes to the Code of Conduct in 2010, the Professional Practice Committee is currently undertaking a review of all Bar Council Guidance. This will be completed within a few months. If you are in any doubt about the status of, or cannot find, a particular guidance document, please call the Ethical Enquiries Line on 020 7611 1307.

All of the Guidance is accessible through the key words index on this website, including Guidance on the Bar Standards Board’s website. If you wish to find, for example, Guidance on Disclosing Previous Convictions, you can access the relevant document by searching under Disclosure, or under Convictions, or under Previous Convictions. Each will provide a link to the relevant document.

Please note, the guidance is designed to assist you in the interpretation of the Code of Conduct. Whilst it does not form part of the code itself, the Code states that self employed barristers must "have regard to any relevant guidance issued by the Bar Council and the Bar Standards Board."

We recommend using the Key Words Index for accessing individual pieces of Guidance.  However, you can also use our Guidance for Barristers Listed Alphabetically. 

All IT Panel Articles can be found under IT Issues.

Rights of Audience and Rights to Conduct Litigation

If you are in doubt about whether you are able to exercise Rights of Audience, please use the Rights of Audience Tool.  If you are in doubt about whether you have Rights to Conduct Litigation, please use the Rights to Conduct Litigation Tool.

Bar Handbook
The Bar Handbook is a practical handbook bringing together details and guidance relating to a barrister’s professional obligations, parameters of work, permitted charging arrangements, ability to get paid, getting redress when not paid, tax and VAT liabilities, insurance, practice planning and good practice advice, and relevant statutory and regulatory references, for all barristers be they self-employed or sole practitioners, employed, publicly or privately funded. Read more…