Exclusive statistical analysis: Barbara Mills QC outlines how the deeply unhelpful, homogenous BAME acronym is masking the true extent and systemic nature of the Bar’s diversity problem
If the Bar is complacent on the issue of race, then we will perpetuate the same racial inequities that continue to pervade our society, writes Professor Leslie Thomas QC
Brave new world? February 8, 2021
'Life is tough – and you have to be tougher than life to change the world.'
Sebastian Piñera
Passing the Brief returns as Keina Yoshida chats with equality and human rights silk Karon Monaghan QC about the difficulties facing women at the Bar, 100 years of the ILO, and what's next for gender equality lawyers
Life at the criminal Bar or the product of an irresistible creative impulse?
By Ben Mills
Recently retired from the bench, the distinctive trailblazer talks to Frances Gibb about her life and career, COVID and criminal justice (including flat batteries at the Bar and the mood of the judges), and the shortage of women at the top
Glenn Parsons takes a snapshot of diversity and inclusion at the Bar in 2021 – and shares what barristers on the North Eastern Circuit are doing to make lasting change happen
The issues considered in New Zealand’s Kempson v R echo calls for urgent law reform in England and Wales through the Domestic Abuse Bill and a standalone strangulation offence, write Susan Edwards and Kris Gledhill
A barrister’s experience of volunteering in a London hospital during the pandemic
By Stephen Page
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