Counsel Magazine

As of 1 January 2010, barristers will be committing a criminal offence if they carry out reserved legal activities without a practising certificate. The Bar Council is therefore reminding its members to apply in good time. Also from this date, barristers without practising certificates will be prohibited from administering oaths. Until then, barristers do not need a practising certificate or rights of audience to administer oaths. These changes are brought in by the Legal Services Act 2007 (see also Bar News p iii).