Equality, Diversity and Social Mobility Committee
Executive: Sam Mercer
Co-Chair: Rachel Crasnow KC - Cloisters
Co-Chair: Elaine Banton - 7 Bedford Row
Vice-Chair: Eleanor Mawrey - Deka Chambers
Members:
Barbara Mills KC - 4PB
Jason Pitter KC - New Park Court
Deshpal Panesar KC - Old Square
Sarabjit Singh KC - 1 Crown Office Row
Asad Maqsood- Maxim Chambers
Declan O’Dempsey - Cloisters
Gordon Menzies - 6 Pump Court
Jacky Chase –- Essex Court
James Holmes - Garden Court Chambers
James Paterson - Deans Court Chambers
Jemma Tagg - Twenty Essex
Lucy Bone - Littleton Chambers
Mark Henderson - Doughty Street Chambers
Michael Bellis - Capsticks
Natasha Shotunde - Garden Court Chambers
Peter Grieves-Smith - Crown Prosecution Service
Reagan Persaud – Spire Barristers
Serena Sekhon - No 5
Sophie Garner - St Philips
Temitayo Dasaolu - St Paul’s
The Terms of Reference of the Committee are to address all matters concerning equality, diversity and inclusion relating to the Bar, including:
a. To ensure the Bar Council as Approved Regulator implements and fully meets its public equality duty and ensure coordination of equality and diversity work with the BSB;
b. To lead the development of Bar Council equality and diversity policy and guidance for the profession;
c. To undertake initiatives to widen access to and strengthen diversity in the profession;
d. To communicate the profession's commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion and to provide focus and a channel for views on equality, diversity and inclusion at the Bar;
e. To provide assistance to Bar Council in highlighting and considering barriers to accessing justice which are connected to protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010;
f. To support the strategic aims of the Bar Council, as published.
Equality, Diversity and Social Mobility panels
Chair: Mark Henderson
The group aims to promote disability access throughout the profession, the Inns of Court and justice system, to develop guidance for practitioners on reasonable adjustments, legislative and regulatory disability obligations and through the Panel of Disability of Advisors to offer guidance to disabled law students and barristers.
Those seeking access to the Panel should contact [email protected].
Chair: Dee Masters
The Retention Panel aims to increase the retention of women in practice and to advise on all matters relating to retention issues at the Bar. Key areas of focus include distribution of work/income monitoring by sex and tackling harassment and bullying. The panel also oversees a programme of work exploring options and barriers to more flexible work at the Bar.
Chairs Laurie Anne Power KC and Simon Regis CBE
The purpose of the Race Panel is:
To establish (i) factors that hinder access, retention and progression of Black barristers and to identify interventions to address barriers faced by Black practitioners; and (ii) the role Bar Council and Bar based organisations may play more widely in challenging systemic disadvantage faced by the Black community. It is intended this remit will extend to other ethnic minority groups as work progresses.
Chair: Rebecca Dix
Vice Chair: Anneli Howard KC
The purpose of the Wellbeing at the Bar Working Group is to guide the Wellbeing at the Bar programme, including by providing insight into the wellbeing needs of different parts of the Bar (including practice areas) and in disseminating the campaign more widely.
In particular:
- To develop wellbeing resources, campaigns, and initiatives for the Bar
- To propose improvements to existing wellbeing support/resources for barristers (and chambers staff), and
- To disseminate wellbeing information.