Kirsty Brimelow KC inaugural address 12 January 2026
The Chair of the Bar 2026, Kirsty Brimelow KC, sets out her priorities for 2026 in her inaugural address.
Juries, legal aid and children in sharp focus for new Bar Chair Kirsty Brimelow KC
The new Chair set out her priorities in a speech at Gray's Inn
St. Joseph Chambers - Civil (08 February 2026)
£ N/A | Civil | London | start date: N/A
Law reform driven by understanding computers
Professor Thimbleby calls for a new regulatory system for computers
Thomas More Chambers (31 March 2026)
£ N/a | Crime, Civil and Family | London | start date: ASAP
Legal aid system at breaking point, Bar Council warns after Parliamentary report
The Bar Council has welcomed the new Parliamentary report on the Ministry of Justice (MoJ), warning that it confirms what the Bar has been saying for years: the legal aid system is no longer sustainable and access to justice is being steadily eroded.
Kirsty Brimelow KC becomes Chair of the Bar 2026
The criminal, international and public law barrister begins her year-long term today
Four Bars joint statement on jury trials in England and Wales
Since the government announced its proposal to restrict the right to a jury trial in response to Sir Brian Leveson’s criminal courts review, the Bar of England and Wales has argued that justice needs juries. Now, the Four Bars of England and Wales, Ireland, Northern Ireland, and Scotland have made a joint statement, urging the UK government to change course.
Bar Council reacts to regulatory proposals
The Bar Council has submitted two separate consultation responses on regulatory matters this week. One submission was sent to HM Treasury on anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing, and the second submission was sent to the Legal Ombudsman on its business plan and budget.
Justice is essential to tackling violence against women and girls – Bar Council
The Bar Council has called for investment across the justice system so that it can play its part in tackling violence against women and girls, whether that be the criminal, family or civil justice system, in response to the government's new strategy.
Bar Council 2025 Recap
Your Bar Council 2025 Recap is here...
Making work pay: why it’s important to monitor earnings by sex at the self-employed Bar
An exploration of how and why the Bar Council has used earnings data over the past decade to support the self-employed Bar
System overload - a report on family legal aid
Our report into family legal aid, examining the changing conditions of publicly funded work for family legal aid barristers
Many would leave family legal aid ‘in a heartbeat’ – new Bar Council report
Researchers spoke to 100 family barristers and found that many want to leave publicly funded family work as fees are worth about half their 1996 value.
Bar Council announces new Chief Executive to join in March 2026
Jim Morris CB DSO will take over from Malcolm Cree CBE in March 2026
How Bar Council achieved the ISO 14001 environmental accreditation
"..the small things add up: reducing waste, tightening up processes, and increasing awareness all lead to cost savings and a lower environmental impact."
Lawyers targeted with abuse, aggression and threats
In this guest blog for the Bar Council, the President of the Law Society of England and Wales Mark Evans highlights the experiences of solicitors and the support offered to them.
Bar Council awarded for commitment to environmental responsibility
The Bar Council has been awarded the ISO 14001 Environmental Management certification for our commitment to environmental sustainability in its operations.
Bar leaders’ statement on government’s response to Leveson’s Review of Criminal Courts
The Bar leaders have issued a joint statement in response to the news the government plans to curtail the right to jury trials.
Bar Council urges government not to pursue changes to jury trial under mistaken belief that radical equals effective
The Bar Council has issued an initial response to the government's package of measures announced in response to Sir Brian Leveson's review of criminal courts. The Bar's representative body has warned that progress risks being undermined by proposals that compromise public trust and confidence in our criminal justice system through curtailing jury trials.