The Bar Council launched a Public Access training programme for its members, at St Johns Buildings in Manchester in November. Since 31 March 2010, barristers who have completed an approved training course have been able to take instructions directly from members of the public. The course will cover the relevant rules as well as client care and communication skills.
Calls for Royal Commission to examine consitutional framework
It is time for a close look at the British constitution, the Master of the Rolls has said.
Lord Bingham was awarded a posthumous lifetime achievement award at Liberty’s Human Rights Awards in 2010 for his contribution to the British judiciary. Karen Monaghan QC, of Matrix Chambers, was voted human rights lawyer of the year, and Young Legal Aid Lawyers won the human rights young person of the year award.
Use of direct access – where clients instruct a barrister directly as opposed to via a solicitor – is soaring as corporate counsel seek to cut costs during the economic downturn.
Nichola Higgins, of 15 New Bridge Street, is the new Chair of the Young Barristers’ Committee (“YBC”) of the Bar Council. She said: “2011 will pave the way for significant legal aid reform and the emergence of new business structures.
Lord Justice Leveson, the senior presiding judge in England and Wales, has expressed concerns about the high numbers of penalty notices and other out of court disposals of justice.
All practitioners are required to return a record card indicating the CPD hours that they have completed in 2010 under the New or Established Practitioners Programme.
The Bar Standards Board (BSB) has announced that Dr Vanessa Davies, a non-practising barrister, is to take the helm of the barrister regulator in December this year.
The rise in the use of mediation carries risks, the Master of the Rolls has warned. Delivering the inaugural Gordon Slynn memorial lecture, Lord Neuberger said: “Mediation is a complement to, but must never be a substitute for, justice.
UCL Laws has launched the Judicial Institute, the UK’s first research centre focusing on the judiciary.
Woolwich
We are seeking a highly skilled and experienced Supervising Solicitor for Head of Woolwich Family Team to join and assist with developing our expanding team.
The Chair of the Bar reports back
Susie Griffin on the admin that keeps barristers from billable work
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
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
In an era of patient-centred care and growing concern over misconduct in medical settings, why do women still lack the right to choose women consultants for examination and treatment? Charles Davey investigates
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