News and press releases

  • Legal Professional Privilege for Prisoners

    13 January 2016 - Justice Minister Andrew Selous MP has explained the authorisation process for listening in to communications between lawyers and clients in prisons. The parliamentary written answer, published yesterday, suggests that the prison service effectively self-authorises breaches of legal professional privilege (LPP).

  • New Chairman of the Bar takes the helm at the Bar Council

    7 January 2016 - Chantal-Aimée Doerries QC has become the new Chairman of the Bar, taking over from outgoing Chairman Alistair MacDonald QC in leading the Bar Council, the representative body for barristers in England & Wales. Joining her at the Bar Council helm in 2016 is Andrew Langdon QC who becomes Vice-Chairman of the Bar.

  • Bar Council 2015 Key Highlights

    21 December 2015 - As 2015 draws to a close, we reflect on the Bar Council's key achievements and activities over the year. A great deal was accomplished and, inevitably for an ambitious organisation, there is still much to do throughout 2016. View our timeline of key highlights here.

  • Crime still doesn't pay for many at the Bar

    17 December 2015 - Chairman of the Bar, Alistair MacDonald QC has responded to a report published by the Ministry of Justice on the fees paid to junior barristers for Crown Court defence legal aid work under the Advocates’ Graduated Fee Scheme (AGFS).

  • Have your say on Bar Council budget proposals

    9 December 2015 - The Bar Council will invite members of the profession to review its approved budget proposals for 2016/17 to fund the regulatory activities of the Bar Standards Board (BSB) and the representation and support activities of the Bar Council.

  • Pupil barrister strikes at legality of UK drone killings

    9 December 2015 - Budding barrister Emma Jane Fitzsimons has won £4,000 in a Bar Council essay competition by taking a swipe at the Government’s deliberate killing of two British citizens in lethal drone strikes this summer.

  • 2016 Bar Chairman: We are a profession, not a business

    8 December 2015 - Chantal-Aimée Doerries QC, the incoming Chairman of the Bar, has said that the Bar remains a profession and not a business in her inaugural speech last night (Monday 7 December 2015) at Inner Temple.

  • Evolve Family Law ‘entity’ turns to BARCO

    7 December 2015 - Evolve Family Law, which recently became a Bar Standards Board (BSB) entity, has opted to use BARCO, the Bar Council’s third party escrow account.

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