In a recent blog post, Mark Neale, Chief Executive of the Bar Standards Board of England and Wales, rebutted the suggestion from the Chair of the Bar Council that the regulator should “stay out of the way” concerning issues of equality and diversity within the legal profession. The Bar Standards Board very different stance on…
The Bar Standards Board of England and Wales discusses the use of ChatGPT in court
The Bar Standards Board of England and Wales has discussed the use of ChatGPT in court in a new blog. AI and advanced digital technologies are changing legal practice, with firms implementing digital transformation opportunities and barristers engaging in virtual consultations and hearings. The Legal Services Board, the oversight regulator, promotes technology and innovation to…
Bar Standards Board of England and Wales publishes guidance for barristers in non-professional life, especially the use of social media
The Bar Standards Board (BSB) has approved new guidance, including revised Social Media Guidance and new Guidance on the Regulation of Non-Professional Conduct. The aim is to clarify the regulatory boundaries for barristers’ conduct outside their professional practice, which can impact public confidence in the profession. The BSB Handbook states that barristers must not behave…
Bar Standards Board of England and Wales sets out plan to assure competence of barristers
The Bar Standards Board (BSB) of England and Wales has responded to the Legal Services Board statement on ongoing competence. The response comes with an action plan for ensuring the competence of barristers. Currently the BSB employs a number of measures to ensure competence including: The Professional Statement, which describes the knowledge, skills and aptitude that…
The Bar Standards Board of England and Wales releases reports on diversity and equality in training
The Bar Standards Board (BSB) has today published two new research reports, the first looking at Bar training providers’ approaches to equality and diversity and the second examining students’ experiences of these approaches. The reports form part of the Board’s commitment to ensuring that access to training for the Bar is open to all on…
The Bar Standards Board of England and Wales has welcomed the new sanctions guidance announced by the Bar Tribunals and Sanctions Service
The Bar Standards Board of England and Wales has welcomed a new sanctions regime brought in by the Bar Tribunal and Sanctions Service. The new sanctions will be used by Disciplinary Tribunals and by the BSB’s Independent Decision-Making Body in deciding what sanctions to bring against barristers found to have committed professional misconduct. The new…
Bar Standards Board of England and Wales publishes new statistics on the outcomes of complaints about barristers
The Bar Standards Board (BSB) has published a new statistical analysis examining the outcomes of complaints made about barristers in England and Wales between January 2015 and October 2019. The research was particularly focused on investigating the relationship between the outcomes of, and the likelihood of a complaint being made, and specific characteristics of barristers,…
Bar Standards Board of England and Wales updates Brexit guidance
The Bar Standards Board (BSB) has updated its handbook to reflect changes for lawyers practising in the UK. The new rules were implemented at 11pm on the 3st December 2020, and affect Registered European Lawyers (RELs) who are practising at the Bar of England and Wales, and European lawyers wishing to be admitted to the…
Bar Standards Board of England and Wales publishes data showing that female barristers and those from ethnic minorities earn less than white males
On the 5th November, the Bar Standards Board (BSB) published new analysis surrounding its data on barristers’ income by gender and ethnicity. The research demonstrates that female barristers are likely to earn less than male barristers and that those from Black, Asian and other minority ethnic groups are likely to earn less than White barristers….
The Bar Standards Board publishes new equality and diversity strategy
On the 7th April, the Bar Standards Board (BSB) published its equality and diversity strategy 2020-2022. The strategy comes on the back of the Board’s report into the same topic, which suggested that whilst the situation in the profession was slowly improving more work still needed to be done. Objectives outlined in the strategy include Addressing…