News

Toby Craig of the Bar Council is running in this year’s London Marathon. If there are any barristers out there also running, Toby would like to hear from you as he will be writing a feature for Counsel about preparing for the event. Please contact him at TCraig@BarCouncil.org.uk.

The BSB is consulting on the introduction of an aptitude test for all prospective students wishing to enter the Bar Professional Training Course (BPTC).

Barrister complaints

The BSB’s Professional Conduct Department has released its third quarter report. The report covers the period from 1 July to 30 September 2011 and reveals a continuing rise in complaints against barristers by litigants in person. The total for 2011 now stands at 55 (with the fourth quarter figures still to come). This compares with a total of 19 in 2009 and seven in 2010. The report can be found on www.barstandardsboard.org.uk.

David Anderson QC, the independent reviewer of terrorism legislation, has found asset-freezing laws to be “intrusive and humiliating”, in his first annual report.

The vocational stage of training for the Bar (the Bar Professional Training Course) is delivered by providers at sites in Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Leeds, London, Manchester, Newcastle and Nottingham. In order to assure quality and standards, the BSB carefully monitors the course by carrying out visits to all providers each year and approving, appointing and regulating a system of External Examiners.

Fresh rounds of vacancies for High Court, Senior Circuit, Circuit and District Judges and tribunal positions in the April 2012 to March 2013 programme have been announced by the Judicial Appointments Commission (JAC).

On page 23 of the January 2012 edition of Counsel magazine, Catherine Heard wrote about the case of Babar Ahmad and included comments from Caroline Lucas MP during a debate in Westminster Hall in November. Following this debate, the CPS had published a statement setting out their position on the evidence in the case of Babar Ahmed. The CPS statement is set out below:

Children are increasingly being asked to give live evidence in family proceedings, says the Family Justice Council (FJC).

Last year’s spate of high-profile instances of juror’s bad behaviour has prompted the Lord Chief Justice, Lord Judge to warn that the integrity of jury trial must be preserved.

The Government should bring forward proposals for a Contingent Legal Aid Fund (CLAF), a Bar Council-commissioned report has said.

Economic consultants Europe Economics, which conducted the report, found that the concept has merit and should be seen as one of a number of potential funders of civil litigation.