Back the Bar  - Navy+White Supported By BRF Stamp SMALL.png

 


This work is supported by funding from the Bar Representation Fee (BRF). Subscribe to the BRF to support our work and to access many money-saving benefits.

This report is a follow up to the Race at the Bar report in 2021 and Race at the Bar progress report in 2022.

It reveals there has been some progress on access, retention, progression and culture since the Race at the Bar report in 2021. In particular, the overall diversity of the Bar is improving year by year. But there is much more work to do, particularly in relation to the experience of Black barristers and Black aspiring barristers, students and pupils.

Read our key findings and list of recommendations for individuals, chambers and organisations, including SBAs, circuits and Inns of Court, and for the Bar Council. 

Version note: This report was published in December 2024. It was amended in May 2025 as follows: (1) to clarify the eligible pool for judicial appointments, (2) to clarify KC status is not a criterion for judicial appointment, and (3) to amend Recommendation 13 to recognise JAC cannot currently publish more detailed intersectional data on individual ethnic groups and professional background due to the small numbers involved.