As funding, wellbeing and retention crises hit the publicly funded Bar where it hurts, Frances Judd QC and Stephen Knight are candid on pain points and turn arounds
With barristers and clerks increasingly exposed to the cryptocurrency sector, Anthony Eskander explains how to get smart on smart contracts, maximise market opportunities and prepare for key perils
As the Bar leaders’ evidence cuts to the core on what’s wrong with the criminal justice system, Mark Hatcher puts his hope in Gauke to deliver a larger share for justice
Best books, favourite films, top tracks and an essential: Counsel invites barristers to share their cultural influences. In this issue, we talk to Tahir Ashraf, recently named in the Muslim 100 Parliamentary Power List and who also runs 5 Chancery Lane Commercial Barristers Chambers
As armed drone strikes blur the boundaries of the battlefield, Jo Morris and Libby Anderson look at the ethical and legal issues raised and the law of armed conflict
Penelope Gibbs briefs readers on Transform Justice’s video hearings research and calls for a clearer evidence base before virtual justice is extended any further
The criminal Bar’s future occupies hearts and minds; is it too much to hope the MoJ wakes up and smells the coffee from its spanking-new reception, asks Mark Hatcher
The Windrush scandal has put the spotlight on the byzantine and troubled state of British immigration law, policy and practice, writes Dr Anna Lindley
Novello Theatre, London, 29 April 2018 Shakespeare Schools Foundation
Knife culture is so engrained in some communities that only more severe punishment will actually see it ‘stamped out’, argues Jesse Cook
UK
Details of the qualification requirements can be found in the information pack. It is expected that the successful applicant will take up their post in the spring of 2027.
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
Developing a tech start-up demands a different definition of excellence to the Bar, says Saara Idelbi. The co-creator of Advocatr on entrepreneurship, AI advocacy training, and matching the thrill of a killer cross-examination
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
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