*/
Twice as many barristers were disbarred last year than during the previous year, a report from the regulator revealed.
The annual Enforcement report from the Bar Standards Board (BSB) showed that 19 barristers were disbarred in 2016/17, an increase from seven in 2015/16.
It said that reports received from barristers by other members of the profession for serious misconduct rose to110 in 2016/17 from 80 in 2015/16. But only 53% of these reports resulted in a formal complaint being raised. This, it said, demonstrated that barristers were ‘rightly erring on the side of caution in meeting their obligations to report misconduct’.
The report showed that the general trend in complaints about barristers was down, with fewer enquiries and reports received leading to formal complaints being opened this year – 366 in 2016/17 compared with 434 last year.
Excluding an unusual number relating to one individual barrister, the report showed a lower number of complaints had been referred to disciplinary action this year too –down from 53 last year to 46 in 2016/17.
Commenting on the report, the BSB’s Director of Professional Conduct, Sara Jagger, said: ‘It is important that everyone can have confidence in the conduct of barristers. This report shows that we are succeeding in our efforts to take action against the small number of barristers whose professional conduct poses the biggest risk to the public.’
Twice as many barristers were disbarred last year than during the previous year, a report from the regulator revealed.
The annual Enforcement report from the Bar Standards Board (BSB) showed that 19 barristers were disbarred in 2016/17, an increase from seven in 2015/16.
It said that reports received from barristers by other members of the profession for serious misconduct rose to110 in 2016/17 from 80 in 2015/16. But only 53% of these reports resulted in a formal complaint being raised. This, it said, demonstrated that barristers were ‘rightly erring on the side of caution in meeting their obligations to report misconduct’.
The report showed that the general trend in complaints about barristers was down, with fewer enquiries and reports received leading to formal complaints being opened this year – 366 in 2016/17 compared with 434 last year.
Excluding an unusual number relating to one individual barrister, the report showed a lower number of complaints had been referred to disciplinary action this year too –down from 53 last year to 46 in 2016/17.
Commenting on the report, the BSB’s Director of Professional Conduct, Sara Jagger, said: ‘It is important that everyone can have confidence in the conduct of barristers. This report shows that we are succeeding in our efforts to take action against the small number of barristers whose professional conduct poses the biggest risk to the public.’
Update from the Chair of the Bar
Save the Children UK is the latest charity to benefit from a £500 donation from AlphaBiolabs via the company’s Giving Back initiative
AlphaBiolabs has been awarded the contract to provide drug, alcohol, and DNA testing services for Hull City Council, following a rigorous competitive tender process
By Clement Cowley, Partner at The Penny Group
Modernising communication and collaboration at a leading Chancery set. A Zexi case study
How to build profile without compromising professional duties. By Naumaan Farooq, Co-Founder of Inked PR
A decade of reviews and research has disrupted accepted thinking in the search for causality. Suicides following abuse have overtaken domestic homicides. Is the law keeping up? Professor Susan Edwards KC (Hon) examines recent cases and the obstacles to successful prosecution
At least not that way, says Richard Paige
The case against judge-only justice – and why efficiency is not enough. By Professor Leslie Thomas KC
Heritage as an anchor and a compass, finding our common humanity and embracing the power of the outsider – Melina Antoniadis’s lessons learnt
Lauren Fullerton examines the how, what and why of setting up a second chambers base
