Organisations we work with

The Bar Council works alongside many organisations to support the Bar and those working with barristers, as well as to promote the rule of law and access to justice. We work very closely with the Inns of Court, circuits, and specialist Bar associations (SBAs). Each of these organisations is represented on our Council to make sure our work on behalf of the Bar is joined up.

King’s Counsel Appointments: The KCA selection panel makes recommendations for the award of King’s Counsel for excellence in advocacy in the higher courts, tribunals or arbitrations. The KCA is jointly owned by the Bar Council and the Law Society, but the KCA has its own secretariat, and the selection panel is independent of both organisations. Find out more about King’s Counsel Appointments.

Chambers professionals: We have strong working relationships with the Institute of Barristers’ Clerks (IBC) and Legal Practice Management Association (LPMA). Both of these organisations are invited to sit on the General Management Committee (the senior representative committee of the Bar Council) and some of our representative committees, panels and working groups.

NGOs: We support the work of Bar-based charities including Advocate and the Free Representation Unit (FRU), as well as the independent Bar Human Rights Committee. Each of these organisations provides regular updates on their work to our Council. 

Regulation: As the approved regulator for the Bar, we delegate the regulatory functions to the operationally independent Bar Standards Board (BSB). To provide appropriate oversight, the BSB Chair delivers a report to every meeting of our Council. In addition, we work with the Legal Services Board (LSB), the oversight regulator of legal services in England and Wales. The Legal Ombudsman (LeO) investigates complaints about the legal service received and resolves disputes between consumers and legal service providers.

Judiciary: We work with the senior judiciary on matters of shared interest and with organisations that support the progression of barristers to the bench, including the Judicial Appointments Commission and its Judicial Diversity Forum. The Justices’ Clerks’ Society supports legal advisers. We also work with the Magistrates’ Association.

Other legal professions: Beyond the Bar of England and Wales, we work with organisations with an interest in the rule of law and access to justice. Our sister legal professional organisations are the Law Society and the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (CILEX) and their regulators are the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) and CILEx Regulation.

UK and international: The Bar Council of England and Wales is a member of the Four Bars, with the Faculty of Advocates, the Bar of Northern Ireland and the Bar of Ireland. We are also a member of the International Bar Association and the Commonwealth Lawyers Association (CLA), and an affiliate member of the Council of Bars and Law Societies of Europe (CCBE).

Government and agencies: The Bar Council is a trusted stakeholder for the government. We work with the Ministry of Justice, the Attorney General’s Office (AGO), the Government Legal Profession, HM Courts & Tribunals Service, the Crown Prosecution Service, and the Serious Fraud Office.

Partners for the Bar: The Bar Council works with business partners who extend special offers, discounts and benefits to the profession or who work with us to develop training, events or resources. We carefully select partners with extensive knowledge of the Bar to make sure they understand the specific requirements of the profession. If you are interested in working with us, contact our services team via [email protected] or +44 (0)20 7611 1321.

Inns of Court

The four Inns of Court: who they are and what they do

Circuits of England & Wales

The six circuits of England and Wales: what they are and where they cover.

Specialist Bar Associations

The Specialist Bar Associations (SBAs): dedicated to barristers' practice areas within geographical regions.