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Judges and lawyers are at risk of mental ‘collapse’, the new Head of the Family Division warned, stating that ‘wellbeing’ is top of his agenda.
Sir Andrew McFarlane told the annual conference of the Legal Aid Practitioners Group in October that high workloads, long hours and a lack of resources were putting judges and lawyers under immense pressure.
He said the Chair of the Bar reported that judges were emailing barristers late at night and at four o’clock in the morning.
Warning that the justice system faced a ‘serious moment’, Sir Andrew said: ‘People are saying the system will fall over... In fact the system won’t fall over; the system won’t collapse. The system will grind on. What might happen and does happen is that individuals in the system – people will fall over, will collapse.’
Judges and lawyers are at risk of mental ‘collapse’, the new Head of the Family Division warned, stating that ‘wellbeing’ is top of his agenda.
Sir Andrew McFarlane told the annual conference of the Legal Aid Practitioners Group in October that high workloads, long hours and a lack of resources were putting judges and lawyers under immense pressure.
He said the Chair of the Bar reported that judges were emailing barristers late at night and at four o’clock in the morning.
Warning that the justice system faced a ‘serious moment’, Sir Andrew said: ‘People are saying the system will fall over... In fact the system won’t fall over; the system won’t collapse. The system will grind on. What might happen and does happen is that individuals in the system – people will fall over, will collapse.’
Far-ranging month for the Chair of the Bar
Endometriosis Awareness North, a charity raising awareness of endometriosis and supporting those affected across the North of England, has received a £500 boost from AlphaBiolabs via the company’s Giving Back initiative
Marie Law, Director of Toxicology at AlphaBiolabs, examines the most recent data on alcohol misuse in the UK, and the implications for alcohol testing in family proceedings
Clement Cowley, Partner at The Penny Group, explains how tailored financial planning can help barristers take control of their finances and plan with confidence
Marie Law, Director of Toxicology at AlphaBiolabs
A £500 donation from AlphaBiolabs has been made to the leading UK charity tackling international parental child abduction and the movement of children across international borders
Seeing the full picture – Baljit Ubhey OBE outlines the CPS action plan to tackle violence against women and girls, offering insights directly relevant to courtroom practice
Heritage as an anchor and a compass, finding our common humanity and embracing the power of the outsider – Melina Antoniadis’s lessons learnt
Is the Judicial Conduct Investigations Office process fit for purpose? Women barristers’ experiences of bullying are not being reported or, if they are, they are not making it through the system, says Tana Adkin KC
Review by Daniel Barnett
Chair of the Bar reports back