33 Bedford Row (Mixed) - (31 December 2026)
£ N/A | Crime, Family | London | start date Late 2026
Record court backlogs after decades of underinvestment – Bar Council
New figures revealing record court backlogs in England and Wales provide further evidence that the government should scrap the previous administration’s plans to restrict access to jury trials.
KCH Barristers - Civil (no deadline)
£ N/A | Civil | London | start date N/A
Our first collaboration in Colombo
Barrister Sailesh Mehta described the many benefits of the first ever International Legal Symposium organised by the Bar Association of Sri Lanka and the Bar Council of England and Wales.
Kirsty Brimelow KC speech at the European LGBTQ+ Lawyers Association Conference
Our Chair spoke at the first European LGBTQ+ Lawyers Association (ELLA) Conference, held in London in September 2026.
International demand for UK legal services surging
New Law Society report shows the importance of law and barristers to the UK economy.
Bar Council responds to legal complaints case fees proposals
Many of the proposed changes, if implemented, will absorb LeO’s time and resources, and distract from addressing the backlog.
Bar Council reacts to specialist rape courts
Specialist courts, unlike the proposals to curtail jury trials, have already been shown to work.
Outline Chambers (Mixed) - No deadline
£ N/A | Mixed | London | start date TBD
Increase clarity and create new guidance to encourage more barristers to apply for silk, Bar Council report recommends
More practice-specific guidance is needed to assist barristers across the Bar to apply for silk, a new report from the Bar Council has found.
King’s Counsel Working Group final report
The King's Counsel Working Group, chaired by Bar Council Vice Chair Heidi Stonecliffe KC, considered how applicants across the Bar can be better supported in their King’s Counsel (KC) applications.
King’s Counsel Working Group final report action plan
Published alongside the King's Counsel Working Group final report, this document sets out actions for the Bar Council, KCA, and specialist Bar associations to take in response to the publication of the report.
Evidence submitted to the KCA Working Group
Published alongside the King's Counsel Working Group final report, this research, carried out alongside the KCA Working Group but outside its Terms of Reference, provides further insight into the Bar's perceptions of the King's Counsel Application process.
Sir Duncan Nichol CBE QC Review
Published alongside the King's Counsel Working Group final report, this letter provides context for how the current KCA process has developed.
Bar Council welcomes appointment of new Justice Committee Chair
Catherine Atkinson MP, a former barrister who practised for 17 years, has become the new Chair of the Justice Select Committee, taking over from Andy Slaughter MP.
Bar Council urges government against "tampering" with jury trials
The government is reportedly considering a new proposal which would restrict the right to jury trial by giving judges the power to decide which cases go before a jury.
‘Please rephrase’: The Post Office scandal has exposed perils of partisan expert evidence
Legal journalist John Hyde says the legal profession must use this episode to reset its relationship with expert witnesses.
Bar Council Budget 2026 submission
Our evidence-based submission to HM Treasury's consultation on the 2026 Budget
The case for a more sustainable practice
The Greener Litigation Pledge is a collective commitment by law firms, chambers and other disputes professionals to reduce the environmental footprint of their dispute resolution practice.
Bar Council welcomes government implementation of match-funded criminal pupillages
Match-funding criminal pupillages has been championed by the Bar Council since 2024 when it featured in its ‘Manifesto for justice’.