Rights of Audience - notes
Holding Out Rules
The Bar Council provides guidance on the holding out rules for barristers who have not satisfied the conditions required to practise as a barrister or who for other reasons wish to supply legal services other then as practising barristers.
This can be accessed through the Guidance section of the Bar Council website.
Lower Court Rights
An employed barrister who had completed pupillage on or before 30 July 2000 or who had become an employed barrister before 1 January 1989 and who had worked as an employed barristers for at least five years on 30 July 2000 was entitled to exercise lower court rights of audience on this date.
Pupillages in Employment
Pupillages may be undertaken in chambers or in other organisations authorised by the Bar Council to take pupils. Under the external training regulations, subject to the prior approval of the Joint Regulation Committee, up to six months of the second six may also be satisfied by working for a solicitor or by some other form of training acceptable to the Committee. For further information please contact: Andrea Clerk, Pupillage Officer on 020 7611 1444.
Qualified Persons
A 'qualified person' is a barrister or solicitor who has practised in either capacity for six years out of the last eight years and has been entitled to exercise full higher court rights of audience for at least two years.
The person may act as a qualified person in relation to no more than three people.
Transitional Arrangements
If you are not eligible to exercise full rights of audience (e.g. because you have not completed pupillage) you may apply to the Bar Standards Board for authorisation to exercise full higher courts rights of audience under the transitional arrangements in the Code of Conduct. The Bar Council will consider your relevant experience and may require you to undertake additional training. For further information please contact: Joanne Dixon, Manager, Qualification Regulations on 020 7611 1444.
