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I am now in my second month as Chair of the Bar. I was humbled by the response to my inaugural speech and thanks to all who attended. I am really pleased the speech has been widely read. The priorities set out for this year include raising the profile of the family Bar, enhancing the wellbeing of the profession, making further strides on equality, diversity and inclusion and continuing to press for the resources needed to restore the justice system. Many at the Bar are already engaged in this work, making suggestions and seeking to work with the Bar Council which is great. Young barristers have told me they feel energised and hopeful.
The appointment of 105 new KCs has just been announced. I would like to congratulate all who have been successful. I also want to offer my commiserations to those who have not had the success; it can often take multiple applications. Don’t give up and please take advantage of the mentoring and support available, including the scheme offered by the Bar Council.
I will work closely with the Bar Council’s Equality, Diversity and Social Mobility Committee, Race Panel and Employed Barristers’ Committee to better understand why fewer women are applying for silk and why none of the employed barristers and Black barristers who applied this year were successful.
At a time when there is much need for comprehensive reform in the justice system, I want to use my year in office to showcase how innovative solutions created for families could inform new thinking in other courts. Take, for example, the Family Drug and Alcohol Court. So far, this has been a success story and perhaps one that the criminal jurisdiction could draw from.
The pilot Pathfinder courts have also been a success. They use a child-centred and problem-solving approach to private law family proceedings to improve the court responses to risk and domestic abuse and enhance the voice of the child within proceedings. The Bar Council is now calling on the government to fund the rollout across England and Wales. To ensure the continued success of the Pathfinder, corners must not be cut. It is imperative that the resources, training and funding made available to the pilot courts are rolled out as well.
An effective and properly funded family court system should be front and centre to help to reach the government’s target of halving violence against women and girls (VAWG). We have put forward a package of measures including specialised domestic abuse and child abuse support, assessment services and trauma-informed measures in court buildings.
The Bar Council is urging the government to provide a clear definition of VAWG and recognise that VAWG is preventable so that policies extend beyond reactive measures to incorporate prevention and early intervention strategies. At the very least, every complainant and every alleged perpetrator should have access to legal advice and representation.
We are providing data and ideas to the Leveson Review alongside carefully considering all the options that can help bear down on the backlog. The Bar Council will continue to advocate for a comprehensive and sustainable approach to the criminal justice system which will create stability and which, at the very least, must include Crown Courts to be resourced to sit at the maximum capacity; the establishment of a new independent fee review body reporting annually (just like judges have); and additional fees for lawyers.
The justice system has been starved of funds to save money, but cuts have impacted on access to justice for children, families and vulnerable adults, as well as increasing overall public spending costs.
The Ministry of Justice (MOJ) has now launched a consultation on civil legal aid fees for housing and debt work, and immigration and asylum work. The MOJ is also seeking further evidence on potential changes to some aspects of contractual requirements.
As the first funding increase for civil legal aid since 1996, the Bar Council has welcomed the proposed additional £20 million per annum investment. However, it is long overdue and fees for other civil legal aid categories are still under consideration. We need to see the injection of new money and we will press for funding as part of the second phase of the spending review due this spring.
Please join us in Birmingham this year for Bar Conference on Saturday 7 June and I hope that when it comes to subscribing to the Bar Representation Fee (BRF), like me, you can see the value in what the Bar Council does. Please subscribe during the authorisation to practise process.
Barbara Mills KC is the 2025 Chair of the Bar. She is a specialist family practitioner at 4PB and former Co-Chair of the Bar Council’s Race Working Group.
I am now in my second month as Chair of the Bar. I was humbled by the response to my inaugural speech and thanks to all who attended. I am really pleased the speech has been widely read. The priorities set out for this year include raising the profile of the family Bar, enhancing the wellbeing of the profession, making further strides on equality, diversity and inclusion and continuing to press for the resources needed to restore the justice system. Many at the Bar are already engaged in this work, making suggestions and seeking to work with the Bar Council which is great. Young barristers have told me they feel energised and hopeful.
The appointment of 105 new KCs has just been announced. I would like to congratulate all who have been successful. I also want to offer my commiserations to those who have not had the success; it can often take multiple applications. Don’t give up and please take advantage of the mentoring and support available, including the scheme offered by the Bar Council.
I will work closely with the Bar Council’s Equality, Diversity and Social Mobility Committee, Race Panel and Employed Barristers’ Committee to better understand why fewer women are applying for silk and why none of the employed barristers and Black barristers who applied this year were successful.
At a time when there is much need for comprehensive reform in the justice system, I want to use my year in office to showcase how innovative solutions created for families could inform new thinking in other courts. Take, for example, the Family Drug and Alcohol Court. So far, this has been a success story and perhaps one that the criminal jurisdiction could draw from.
The pilot Pathfinder courts have also been a success. They use a child-centred and problem-solving approach to private law family proceedings to improve the court responses to risk and domestic abuse and enhance the voice of the child within proceedings. The Bar Council is now calling on the government to fund the rollout across England and Wales. To ensure the continued success of the Pathfinder, corners must not be cut. It is imperative that the resources, training and funding made available to the pilot courts are rolled out as well.
An effective and properly funded family court system should be front and centre to help to reach the government’s target of halving violence against women and girls (VAWG). We have put forward a package of measures including specialised domestic abuse and child abuse support, assessment services and trauma-informed measures in court buildings.
The Bar Council is urging the government to provide a clear definition of VAWG and recognise that VAWG is preventable so that policies extend beyond reactive measures to incorporate prevention and early intervention strategies. At the very least, every complainant and every alleged perpetrator should have access to legal advice and representation.
We are providing data and ideas to the Leveson Review alongside carefully considering all the options that can help bear down on the backlog. The Bar Council will continue to advocate for a comprehensive and sustainable approach to the criminal justice system which will create stability and which, at the very least, must include Crown Courts to be resourced to sit at the maximum capacity; the establishment of a new independent fee review body reporting annually (just like judges have); and additional fees for lawyers.
The justice system has been starved of funds to save money, but cuts have impacted on access to justice for children, families and vulnerable adults, as well as increasing overall public spending costs.
The Ministry of Justice (MOJ) has now launched a consultation on civil legal aid fees for housing and debt work, and immigration and asylum work. The MOJ is also seeking further evidence on potential changes to some aspects of contractual requirements.
As the first funding increase for civil legal aid since 1996, the Bar Council has welcomed the proposed additional £20 million per annum investment. However, it is long overdue and fees for other civil legal aid categories are still under consideration. We need to see the injection of new money and we will press for funding as part of the second phase of the spending review due this spring.
Please join us in Birmingham this year for Bar Conference on Saturday 7 June and I hope that when it comes to subscribing to the Bar Representation Fee (BRF), like me, you can see the value in what the Bar Council does. Please subscribe during the authorisation to practise process.
The Chair of the Bar reports back
Clement Cowley, Partner at The Penny Group, explains how global events can influence the performance of pensions and ISAs, and why taking a long-term approach to investing is often the most effective strategy
Mário Barroso, Head of R&D and Method Development at AlphaBiolabs, discusses what family law professionals need to know about hallucinogens, from the main hallucinogenic drugs encountered in family proceedings, to their effects and the testing options available
Harmony Christian Ministries is the latest charity to benefit from a £500 donation from AlphaBiolabs via the company’s Giving Back initiative
By David Green
Mário Barroso, Head of R&D and Method Development at AlphaBiolabs, examines the forensic science underpinning hair drug testing, its evidential scope and limitations, and why it remains the gold standard for evidencing patterns of drug use in family proceedings
At the start of her term, Chair of the Bar 2026 Kirsty Brimelow KC set out a series of priorities for the year ahead. One of those priorities was children in the justice system
As the world becomes more digital, Barbara Vinagre Mota examines international research into the mental health consequences of judges’ exposure to graphic and immersive evidence, highlighting the importance of support systems
In an era of patient-centred care and growing concern over misconduct in medical settings, why do women still lack the right to choose women consultants for examination and treatment? Charles Davey investigates
Reviewed by Daniel Barnett
James McNeill Whistler at Tate Britain until 27 September Rothko in Florence at Palazzo Strozzi until 23 August Reviewed by Stephen Cragg KC
