The Bar Council

The Bar

 

As an old profession the institutional structure of barristers’ working lives is somewhat complex.

The majority of barristers are self-employed practitioners who work in groups of offices called Chambers. Around 20% of practising barristers are employed and work in a wide variety of professional sectors, including central and local Government, the Crown Prosecution Service, industry, finance and commerce.
 
Other key institutions which you  will come across are as follows:

The main other institutions which you may come across are as follows:

The Bar Council, which produces this website, is the barristers’ professional body.

The Bar Standards Board is responsible for maintaining professional standards among barristers. Read more...

Specialist Bar Associations (SBAs) are associations dedicated to the interests of particular groups of barristers. SBAs can help to promote their members’ interests, for example responding to proposals for changes to the regulations. Read more...

The Circuits. For the purposes of administration and organisation of the court system, England and Wales is divided into six circuits: South Eastern, Midlands, Northern, North Eastern, Western and Wales and Chester.  Barristers in chambers on each of these circuits come together to form the circuit, headed by a senior barrister as their Circuit Leader. Circuits undertake similar functions as the Inns in respect of pupillage and training. Read more...

The Inns of Court.  The Inns are ancient bodies which formerly controlled the activity of the Bar.  Overtime they have become responsible for the oversight training of would be barristers.  They are the authorised body for Call to the Bar. Read more...

Legal Services Board
The Legal Services Board (LSB) is the independent body responsible for overseeing eight approved legal regulators – including the Bar Council - in England and Wales.
Read more...

Legal Services Commission
The Legal Services Commission (LSC) runs the legal aid scheme in England and Wales.  The LSC work in partnership with solicitors and not-for-profit organisations to provide information, advice and legal representation to people in need.
Read more..

Office for Legal Complaints
The Office for Legal Complaints (OLC) was established in July 2009 to provide consumers of legal services with an independent and impartial Ombudsman scheme to resolve disputes involving their lawyer. Read more