The Bar Council agrees with the definition of bullying from ACAS as “…offensive, intimidating, malicious or insulting behaviour, an abuse or misuse of power through means intended to undermine, humiliate, denigrate, or injure the recipient”.
Harassment is a technical term defined in the Equality Act 2010 as being “…unwanted conduct, which has the purpose or effect of violating an individual’s dignity or creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment for that individual.”
Support
It can be difficult to challenge harassment or bullying behaviour. So, when something happens which doesn’t feel right, or makes us feel uncomfortable, or hurts us, it can be hard to know who to tell or what to do.
If you experience or witness bullying or harassment in the workplace there is support available.
Recognise bullying behaviour
- Wellbeing at the Bar: what is bullying and what is harassment. More information on how to identify what you're experiencing working with other barristers.
- ACAS website: understanding the type of treatment you're experiencing.
Record or report an incident of bullying, harassment or discrimination
Use Talk to Spot to record it, anonymously if preferred.
Record it: Talk to Spot will let you make a record of exactly what happened, who did it, who saw it, where it happened and when. It's simple to use and when you've entered the information, it will add a date to the record of the incident. No one else will see it, it belongs only to the person who created the record.
Report it: If you deem it necessary, you can use the record to support a complaint about the incident. A complaint can go to your chambers, employer and/or regulator. In the case of criminal behaviour, the record can be used to help report an incident to the police. If permission is given, the record can be sent by Talk to Spot to our Equality and Diversity team to help us understand what is occurring and how we can provide support.
Find out more about Talk to Spot.
Speak to the Bar Council
You can email a member of the Equality and Diversity team in confidence for support and advice about bullying or harassment issues. This is available to all members of the profession, staff and members of chambers, employed barristers, pupils and Bar students.
Email [email protected] for advice; you can request a callback.
Judicial bullying
We are seeking:
- The addition of specific content on bullying/inappropriate behaviour in the Judicial Code of Conduct
- Clarity on what happens to complaints made to the judiciary about bullying and inappropriate behaviours, and the effectiveness of the 2023 Statement of Expected Behaviour
- A review of any judicial bullying and harassment policies by Judicial Office
- Regular training for the judiciary on bullying, harassment, and discrimination
For more information or to suggest action you would like us to take, email [email protected]
Report what you see
If you have witnessed an incident or inappropriate behaviour, or someone has disclosed something to you, you can also make a record as a witness. You can make an anonymous record on Talk to Spot as a witness or third party to an incident, or speak to our Equality and Diversity team Helpline. Even if you don’t want to raise a complaint you can still help the Bar Council to understand of the types of inappropriate behaviour barristers face.
All Rise
All Rise is a project inviting the Bar to step up and actively create a better culture for all barristers. It aims to encourage barristers across all practice areas and levels of call to be ‘active bystanders’ – speaking out and standing against abusive, bullying and belittling behaviour.
Find out more about All Rise and how to get involved
Talk to Spot
The online tool for the Bar to confidentially and anonymously record bullying, harassment or discrimination concerns.
Helplines
Helplines for equality and diversity, ethics, bullying and harassment and pupillage issues
Wellbeing at the Bar
Find out more about the Bar Council's Wellbeing at the Bar programme.
What the Bar Council is doing
We recognise that we need to work together across the profession, with solicitors and the judiciary, to bring about change.
The Bar Council has committed to address inappropriate and abusive behaviour by commissioning a review, established by Spring 2024 and to report by Spring 2025, that will consider and identify solutions, specifically to identify prevention and mitigating strategies.
Bullying within the profession
We are asking:
- The BSB to reference bullying in the Handbook Rules (e.g., CD8 and rC12 – rules which reference discrimination)
- Chambers to improve their anti-bullying and harassment policies, and to introduce and enforce codes of behaviour
We are:
- Monitoring incidents via Talk to Spot and research (Barristers Working Lives)
- Developing and updating guidance and training on bullying, and encouraging chambers to use the resources we develop
- Supporting campaigns like All Rise
- Follow on X
- Join their LinkedIn Group
- Read more in News item
Work we have undertaken to date includes:
- An action plan published in response to Barristers Working Lives 2017
- A guide to tackling harassment and a harassment policy template (including examples of behaviours) for chambers.
- Development and delivery of Anti-Harassment and Bullying Training (providing information on bullying and harassment and processes for managing a complaint) for all barristers and their employees.
- Bullying resources on the Wellbeing at the Bar website, including information on recognising behaviours and advice on what to do.
- An Equality Diversity and Social Mobility (EDSM) Working Group report and recommendations 2022
- Bespoke advice and support to chambers and victims/witnesses (including providing extensive support to those who contact us via Talk to Spot and wish to then pursue a formal complaint).
Judicial bullying
We are seeking:
- The addition of specific content on bullying/inappropriate behaviour in the Judicial Code of Conduct
- Clarity on what happens to complaints made to the judiciary about bullying and inappropriate behaviours
- A review of any judicial bullying and harassment policies by Judicial Office
- Regular training for the judiciary on bullying, harassment, and discrimination
For more information or to suggest action you would like us to take, [email protected].
Research reports
Barristers Working Lives report 2021
The 2021 survey of barristers' working lives was designed to explore the lived experience of working as a barrister in 2021.
Life at the Young Bar report
The Young Bar is the future of the profession. In this report, we present a snapshot of life at the Young Bar in 2021.
Race at the Bar Report 2021
The Bar Council’s Race Working Group's 2021 report addressing inequality at the Bar and proposing a series of recommendations for action.
Working Lives 2021 wellbeing analysis
A report on the condition of barristers' wellbeing in 2021
Pupils survey report March 2022
Report summary of our second annual survey of pupils that took place in February 2022.
