Bar Council funding
How much of your practising certificate fee goes to the Bar Council? How else is the Bar Council funded and what is happening in 2020/2021?
You may be aware that 70% of practising certificate fees go to the regulators (Bar Standards Board, Legal Services Board and Legal Ombudsman), and the proportion that helps fund the Bar Council covers only 64% of the income we need to effectively support the Bar. The remaining funds are generated by our services, training and events portfolios, generous contributions from the Inns of Court and, most importantly, the Bar Representation Fee (BRF).
In April 2020 our Chief Executive announced that the Bar Council was anticipating a significant drop in income derived from practising certificate fees. Following our most recent survey of the profession in December 2020, we have predicted a decrease of up to 18% (£2.9m) to the income of the General Council of the Bar of England and Wales. Over the past year, the Bar Council has worked hard to reduce expenditure and ensure a greater financial burden is not placed on the profession by increasing practising certificate fees.
- Furloughed 18 of our 37 employees (49%);
- Implemented a 12-month pay and six-month recruitment freeze;
- Asked our Chair, Vice-Chair and Chief Executive to take a temporary 20% pay cut;
- Reviewed business plans for 2020/21 to cut certain areas of work, saving money and staff time, and
- Applied for a substantial CBILS loan to ensure sustainable cashflow.
Thes cost-saving measures have enabled us to support the profession by keeping the practising fee levels and bands the same for 2021-22.
What has the Bar Council done for you lately?
In addition to our usual programmes of work, in 2020/21 we have tailored our efforts to ensure we make the most effective impact possible in supporting the Bar through the Covid-19 crisis, Brexit and other challenges. Here are some examples:
Establishing the Covid-19 Working Group, through which we have been able to continuously provide up-to-date guidance through our website and Ethical Enquiries Service, offer commentary on the Coronavirus Bill and the temporary revisions to PACE Codes C and E, and successfully make the case for barristers to be recognised as critical workers.
Advocating for a more efficient use of the court estate and a better listing protocol, and against the introduction of initiatives such as Covid-19 and impractical measures for dealing with the courts' backlog including Extended Operating Hours. Working with HMCTS to extend the ID Card Scheme to over 300 court and tribunal buildings, and making the case for the inclusion of practising pupil barristers.
Contributing to the Ministry of Justice’s Criminal and Civil Legal Aid Reviews and responding to associated criminal and civil consultations, evidencing the severity of the problems within both systems through the presentation of relevant data and publication of reports.
Read our recent civil legal aid report Running on Empty
Defending our members’ rights in relation to the new Trade and Cooperation Agreement and helping the profession navigate the Brexit process by providing up-to-date guidance and advice on key issues.
Ensuring that the value and expertise of the profession is consistently and publicly recognised, and that the work of the Bar Council in influencing policy decisions is highly visible: the Bar Council’s media presence has increased by 300% and broadcast coverage by 556%.
Establishing the Race Working Group, through which we have produced resources for the Bar including the Framework for Taking Action on Race Equality and the upcoming Race Awareness Training Guide.
Delivering the first Bar Council Leadership Programme, an eight-month personal and professional development programme provided free to a small group of diverse practitioners including the opportunity to network with a cohort of leaders and gain the confidence, skills and insights to shape the culture of the Bar.
Making the Bar Council’s training and events portfolio more accessible by moving them online (resulting in a record number of worldwide attendees at the Pupillage Fair 2020 and the most diverse Annual Bar and Young Bar Conference to date) and offering a range of free online seminars on key issues including Brexit and Covid-19.
Bar Representation Fee subscribers continue to receive a training and events discount of up to 40%.
Establishing the Bar Council Modernisation Working Group with a view to increasing diversity amongst Bar Council members by improving the accessibility of meetings and revitalising the participation processes.
Establishing a comprehensive online database of the cases in which barristers have obtained costs judgments against the Legal Aid Agency – ensuring that members of the profession have a greater awareness of any relevant precedents.
Highlighting concerns about the delivery of the centralised assessments and making representations about reasonable adjustments to the Bar Standards Board.
Our thanks to the profession
Despite our best efforts we are by no means in a comfortable financial position. We recognise that many members have had to take on personal debt or use savings to get through the pandemic, but for those who can afford to make a voluntary Bar Representation Fee (BRF) contribution of at least £12.50 a month during the authorisation to practise process, we would like to take this opportunity to express our gratitude.
Back the Bar: subscribe to the BRF
Many of these initiatives would not be possible without funding from the BRF.
As well as supporting new initiatives and our long-standing work funded by voluntary contributions, subscribing to the BRF also gives you a range of benefits to take advantage of during the year.
Please help us to Back the Bar by paying the BRF when you renew your practising certificate, or log into MyBar to subscribe to the BRF now.