thebarcouncil.bsky.social
Representing and supporting the 18,000 practising barristers in England and Wales.
www.barcouncil.org.uk
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Find out more about The Big Legal Lesson⬇️
www.youngcitizens.org/programmes/t...
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Thank you for everyone who made time in their diaries to meet with us over the last two days and share their experiences. It's been a great insight into the challenges and successes in the north east that we'll feed in to our work to continue supporting and representing the profession.
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Discussions included the challenges applying for silk when cases are settled out of court, fair allocation of work & maintaining chambers' culture. We continued conversations around junior barristers getting the experience they need, wellbeing, court listings & the condition of the court buildings.
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Our last stop in Hull takes us to the University of Hull to meet with law students and to see their brilliant mock court facilities.
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Next on to Wilberforce Chambers to continue the conversation with their members learning about their routes to the Bar, challenges with court listings and fees, and wellbeing.
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That's a wrap for today's #BarCouncil meeting. Thank you for following along.
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James Roberts KC, chair of @familylawbar.bsky.social, adds that FLBA & #BarCouncil are working on a family law research project. Expecting another paper on family legal aid fees - currently working on crunching the MoJ data.
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Another AOB at #BarCouncil on family legal aid - concern that there has been no response from govt to consultation on fees last year. The Chair says govt approach is housing & immigration first and family will come later - personally won't let the govt forget to address it.
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In response, Barbara Mills KC says we are alive to these concerns and push them in the right spaces. Met with HHJ Edmunds who has been tasked with looking at the issues. Sarah Gaunt also mentions concern with delivery of prisoners - the Chair has raised this with the prisons minister #BarCouncil
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Under AOB #BarCouncil member Sarah Gaunt raises concerns over listing and sitting days in Crown Courts - this is impacting morale, the rule of law (cases having to be being prepped last minute), and finances....
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The deadline for submissions to the Pro Bono Recognition List is 7 March 2025: www.probonorecognitionlist.org.uk #BarCouncil
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Samantha Singer presents the pro bono and social responsibility cttee report to #BarCouncil. Pro bono demand has increased year on year since the pandemic and no prospect of it being met. Pro Bono Week will be on 4-7 Nov 2025: probonoweek.org.uk
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#BarCouncil member @faiselsadiq.bsky.social (Property Bar Assoc) asks how the detail of (for example) property will be reflected. Sean O'Sullivan KC says we expect broad bands will be used with careful exceptions - there will always be cases that fall outside the broad band.
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In response to Q, Sean O'Sullivan KC says any data #BarCouncil provides to the judiciary will be anonymised, aggregated and likely in bands. RemCom is alive to questions and concerns from chambers around anti-competitiveness
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3. SO'SKC says data will be key - to make sure the right data is in front of people designing the scheme. #BarCouncil wants to gather genuine rates to feed in figures that are reflective of the market - we will gather info via Barristers' Working Lives survey later this year
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2. SO'SKC says we see no desire to control the market & an important aspect will be the guidance that goes with the rates eg brief fees are more complicated... #BarCouncil
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RemCom co-chair Sean O'Sullivan KC updates #BarCouncil on a judiciary-led initiative on developing guideline hourly rates for barristers (as exists for solicitors). 3 main msgs: 1. judiciary & civil justice cttee says this is going to happen so any pushback is futile - important data is accurate...
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Bar Vice Chair @kirstybrimelow.bsky.social says former DPP committed to parity btween defence & prosecution fees and asks if commitment stands. RWKC says whenever there is an increase in defence fees we seek matched increase in prosecution. Sense that new DPP will take similar approach #BarCouncil
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On civil & family fees Richard Wright KC says Remuneration Cttee continues to work on analysing the data to feed into the Ministry of Justice. #BarCouncil
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Richard Wright KC says there is still an underspend from the deal on defence fees. He reiterates the #BarCouncil call for an independent fee review body to get away from the current cycle. Recent success on uplift in travel & accomm fees - thanks to Jo Martin KC for putting it on the agenda
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Richard Wright KC updates #BarCouncil on discussions with the CPS on prosecution fees. On defence fees - the AGFS subgroup of the criminal legal aid advisory board has been gathering evidence to make case for additional funding. Building evidence base for underpaid categories.
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@brummybar.bsky.social says the Leveson and Gauke responses should be read together for overall view of criminal justice situation. #BarCouncil See our Gauke submission here: www.barcouncil.org.uk/resource/bar...
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@brummybar.bsky.social flags the Idle Courts account to #BarCouncil which shows the current state of criminal courts: bsky.app/profile/idle...