The Bar Council Public Affairs team engages with parliamentarians of all parties, government, and the Opposition on a wide range of issues affecting the Bar and wider justice system. We do this through a range of parliamentary activity, including working on relevant legislation, written and oral evidence to committees, meetings, and events.

In the current parliamentary session, we have worked on the following bills:

  • Bill of Rights
  • Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill
  • National Security Bill
  • Online Safety Bill
  • Public Order Bill
  • Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Bill
  • Victims and Prisoners Bill
  • Illegal Migration Bill

Parliamentary briefings

Read parliamentary briefings:

 

Parliamentary inquiries

2023
  • Bar Council’s response to the Home Affairs Committee’s inquiry into fraud
  • Bar Council’s response to the Lords International Agreements Committee’s inquiry into the UK-Swiss Professional Qualifications Agreement
  • Bar Council’s response to the Joint Committee on Human Rights inquiry into the legislative scrutiny of the Victims and Prisoners Bill
  • Bar Council’s response to the Lords Justice and Home Affairs Committee’s inquiry on Post-Brexit UK-EU security cooperation – follow up
  • Bar Council’s response to the Public Accounts Committee’s inquiry on the Court Reform Programme: progress review
  • Bar Council's response to the DCMS Committee’s inquiry on non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and the blockchain [PDF]
2022
2021
  • Bar Council’s response to the Public Accounts Committee’s inquiry into reducing the backlog in the criminal courts
  • Bar Council’s response to the Justice Committee’s inquiry into open justice – court reporting in the digital age
  • Bar Council’s response to the Health and Social Care Committee’s inquiry into NHS litigation reform (PDF)
  • Bar Council’s response to the Lords Justice and Home Affairs Committee’s inquiry into new technologies and the application of the law
  • Bar Council’s response to the Women and Equalities Committee’s inquiry into menopause and the workplace (PDF)
  • Bar Council’s response to the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee’s inquiry into the scrutiny of the international treaties
  • Bar Council’s response to the Lords International Agreements Committee’s inquiry into the UK’s accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP)
  • Bar Council’s response to the Lords EU Services Sub-Committee’s inquiry into the future UK-EU relations on trade in services
  • Bar Council’s response to the Public Accounts Committee’s inquiry of MoJ recall: Covid-19 impact on courts and prisons

 

Consultation responses

We provide evidence-based responses to Government and other consultations. Read our latest consultation responses

 

Our Brussels office

We have an active office in Brussels, which seeks to influence EU law and policy developments that may impact on law and legal practice in England and Wales. Find out more about our Brussels office.

For further information and public affairs enquiries, email our Public Affairs Officer, Nikita Feifel.