Disability inclusion: making chambers accessible for all

Welcome

Mark Henderson, Chair Disability Panel

Transparency, proactivity, and planning? A presentation of Bar Council’s accessibility research findings

Jason Kuong, Research Analyst at the Bar Council
Sam Mercer, Head of Policy, EDI and CSR at the Bar Council

Over the summer 2025, we've been working with the Inns of Court and largest chambers to map accessibility to chambers for those who are mobility impaired. We wanted to understand which chambers are accessible, and what plans were in place to support anyone joining a set with no or limited access. We present our findings.   

The law, regulation, good practice, and practical advice

Declan O'Dempsey, Cloisters 

• Audits and information
• Planning

We'll outline action needed across the Bar to improve access, including ways to better communicate how someone with a mobility impairment can access chambers, and the types of plans chambers might need to consider when they have access barriers – as well as when to develop such plans.

Shared learning: panel discussion with EDOs, chambers’ professionals and practitioners

Celia Grace, Chief Operating Officer at 39 Essex Chambers
John Horan, Cloisters
Rosalie Snocken, Old Square

Our panel will explore ways to get chambers engaged:

• Tips and advice associated with audits
• Working with landlords
• The advantages of proactive planning, and communications
• Share the experience of disabled practitioners.

The panel will answer Q&As from those attending.

Celia Grace, Chief Operating Officer at 39 Essex Chambers

Celia joined 39 Essex Chambers as Chief Operating Officer in 2018. Celia is a qualified lawyer (New Zealand) and has enjoyed a variety of careers. She has worked as an employment and discrimination solicitor, as an education consultant specialising in governance and leadership, and more recently, in operational and compliance support at the Bar. Celia’s role at 39 Essex Chambers is extensive and broad ranging, including regulatory compliance, people, social responsibility, and corporate governance.

Mark Henderson, Chair of the Disability Panel

Mark is a barrister at Doughty Street Chambers specialising in media, public and human rights law. His cases have included leading on disability issues for bereaved and survivors in the Grenfell Tower Inquiry. He is Chair of the Bar Council's Disability Panel, a Board Trustee of the Spinal Injuries Association, and an ambassador for the Disabled LGBTQ+ charity ParaPride.

Jason Kuong, Research Analyst at the Bar Council

Jason joined the Bar Council in April 2025 and supports the Bar Council’s research, data and analysis work. He works with the Head of Research in surveys, reports, and data analysis and visualisation. He also works with the Policy team to ensure we have an evidence-based policymaking process.

Before joining the Bar Council, Jason worked as a paralegal for a boutique law firm specialising in civil litigation matters. He also volunteered for a charity supporting people in courts without legal representation.

Jason holds an LLB (Hons) in Law from the University of Liverpool and a PGCert in Public International Law from Queen Mary University of London.

Sam Mercer, Head of Policy, EDI and CSR at the Bar Council

Sam joined Bar Council in June 2013 and is responsible for the design and delivery of equality, diversity, and inclusion support for the profession. This includes E&D training and good practice guidance, as well as the provision of direct advice and support to chambers and individuals. Sam has been responsible for high-profile programmes, including the Baroness Harman’s  Review into Bullying and Harassment at the Bar, and the Bar’s use of Talk to Spot, work on addressing earnings gaps based on sex and race;  Wellbeing at the Bar, and she co-authored Bar Council’s Race Reports (2021 and 2024). Sam has a keen interest in modernising working practices at the Bar. With a team of 4, her remit extents to wider CSR issues including education and careers outreach; sustainability and pro bono/volunteering, the young and employed Bars.

Declan O'Dempsey, Barrister at Cloisters 

Declan O'Dempsey specialises in discrimination law and employment. He co-wrote the Equality and Human Rights Commission's Code of Practice on Goods, Services and Public Functions, and has appeared in many lead cases on discrimination involving disability. He is on the EDSM, assisted in writing the Bar Council Reasonable Adjustments guide and was formerly Vice chair of the BSB Equality and Diversity Committee. He sits as a part-time fee-paid employment judge.