The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) is launching a landmark scheme, investing up to £1.5 million per year to increase the number of match-funded criminal pupillages and support entry into the Bar. This is an exciting opportunity to support and expand the junior end of the Criminal Bar.

The MoJ will fund up to 100 additional match-funded places, providing specialist on-the-job training and widening access to a career at the Criminal Bar for candidates from across society. The aim of the scheme is to improve opportunities and increase the number of junior barristers practising in criminal law at a time when the criminal justice system needs more excellent practitioners.

This scheme is in addition to the existing Council of the Inns of Court (COIC) match funding scheme, which covers all practice areas. The MoJ scheme will run on very similar lines, but only for criminal pupillages. The match-funded grants will be available to chambers across England and Wales and will be for pupillages additional to those that would otherwise have been offered without government funding.

Chambers will be responsible for ensuring that the total pupillage award meets the Bar Standards Board’s minimum award for the relevant year. They must provide evidence which demonstrates that where a pupil achieves the requisite standard, the pupil may be awarded a tenancy with the prospect of specialising in criminal law.

Chambers will further be expected to incorporate certain equal opportunity measures into their recruitment practices. These comprise:

  • targeted outreach, building on the work already undertaken by many chambers;
  • contextual recruitment, to support the identification of candidates from lower socio-economic backgrounds, or those with caring responsibilities or experience of care; and
  • Equal Merit Provision, giving chambers the discretion to appoint a candidate from an underrepresented group where candidates are of equal merit.

COIC’s Grant Committee plans to run an online session with the MoJ to explain the scheme and answer any questions that chambers may have.

How to apply

Applications to match fund pupillages are invited between 1 September and 16 October 2026. Decisions on applications will be communicated during the week commencing 2 November 2026.

Online applications can be made through the COIC website at: www.coic.org.uk/pupillage-matched-funding.

Find out more

To find out more about the scheme, including the online session, please email Hayley Dawes: hdawes@coic.org.uk.