Bar Council and BSB Publish New and Indispensable Guide For All Barristers

8 June 2009

The Bar Council and the Bar Standards Board are pleased to announce publication of The Bar Handbook 2009/10.  Published by LexisNexis in association with the Bar Council and the Bar Standards Board, The Handbook provides practical guidance on all aspects of barristers’ regulation and practice from the Bar Council in its representative capacity and the Bar Standards Board, the independent, ring-fenced regulator of the Bar.

The Handbook is a vital tool for barristers (in self-employed as well as employed practice) and those who aspire to become barristers. It will also be useful to other lawyers and others who need to use the services of the Bar or who take an interest in the profession. It offers invaluable professional conduct guidance and a collection of material not available elsewhere in a handbook format. 

Updated each year, The Handbook aims to answer the most common questions addressed to the Bar Council and Bar Standards Board and offers advice on additional resources for those seeking in-depth information on specific issues.  This updated edition builds on the success of last year’s inaugural publication and includes:

  • The fully amended Code of Conduct (as at March 2009) with highlights of those areas likely to change during the lifetime of The Handbook
  • A revised taxation section, detailing VAT regime changes as they affect the Bar
  • A new and updated section on Regulation and the Bar Standards Board, discussing the future of regulation under the Legal Services Act 2007, the Legal Services Board and Office for Legal Complaints

The Handbook is an example of the continuing efforts of the Bar Council and Bar Standards Board to provide products and services which offer real value and practical support to members of the Bar throughout their careers. 

Following the introduction of the Legal Services Act 2007, it is more important than ever for those practising at the Bar, or those interested in doing so, to have access to comprehensive and up to date advice on the regulations governing the profession.  The Handbook seeks to clarify and contextualise both the current circumstances and likely future changes in a clear and concise way.

Commenting on the release of The Bar Handbook, Chairman of the Bar Desmond Browne QC said:

“The publication of the Bar Handbook is a timely reminder of the standards which are expected of barristers.  It is important that the rules by which our profession are governed are accessible.  The Bar Handbook ensures that our values and work can easily be understood by those who use the Bar as well as those outside the legal profession or even overseas.  The Bar Handbook serves to communicate the ethos of the Bar, excellence, diligence, public service and integrity and for this reason the Bar Council is pleased to have worked with the Bar Standards Board in its production.”

Baroness Ruth Deech, Chair of the Bar Standards Board, commented:

“The Legal Services Act 2007 continues to shape the most fundamental changes in the regulation of the legal profession within living memory.  The challenges which it presents to the regulators of the legal profession are profound. This means that barristers and other users of legal services must pay closer attention than ever before to the evolving regulation of the profession.  As well as stating what the regulatory position presently is, the guidebook also sets out guidance on the future shape of regulation. We look forward to continuing to work with the Bar Council in the provision of what is a very important resource for the profession”.

-Ends-

1. The Bar Handbook is written by:

Nicholas Bacon
Barrister, 4 New Square. Member of the Bar Council Remuneration Committee, Bar Council Joint Tribunal, Bar Council CFA Committee, Appointed High Court Costs Assessor, Advocacy Trainer (Inner Temple). Nicholas specialises in costs and professional negligence within a general common law practice.

Simon Garrod
Head of Professional Practice at the Bar Standards Board and formerly Manager, Remuneration & Policy, at The Bar Council. Simon is heavily involved in addressing how the changing regulatory framework for the Bar affects the realities of practice for barristers, as well as developing advice and guidance in the context of the evolving nature of the provision of legal services.

2. For more information, please call the Bar Council Press Office on 020 7222 2525 or the Bar Standards Press Office 020 7067 0123.

3. To order online, visit www.lexisnexis.co.uk/legalproducts