News

Baroness Ruth Deech, a former Principal of St Anne’s College, Oxford University, is the new chair of the Bar Standards Board (BSB). 

A Middlesborough man who impersonated a barrister has been jailed for two years. Ian Clegg, 32, described by Judge  Esmond Faulks as a “compulsive liar” who wanted to appear more important than he was, bought a wig and gown from eBay and defended two motoring cases and several debt cases. Clegg said he had studied law at Teeside University and was setting up a chambers in Middlesborough. The alarm was raised after he appeared puzzled by court procedure. 

Data has been stolen following a break-in at the Holborn offices of the Bar Council and Bar Standards Board last month. 

The European Parliament is supportive of the Commission’s 2008 proposal to extend the European Judicial Network, so as to, inter alia, open it up to the legal profession. (“EJN” http://ec.europa.eu/civiljustice/index_en.htm) 

The European Parliament is taking steps to ask the Commission to adopt a proposal to facilitate the intra EU transfer of Company seats. Developments on these and other current issues are reported on in Brussels News, the regular newsletter of the Brussels Office for members of the Bar of England & Wales. Please e-mail: evanna.fruithof@barcouncil.be 

EVANNA FRUITHOF, CONSULTANT DIRECTOR, BAR COUNCIL BRUSSELS OFFICE 

The Commission is expected to issue its long-planned proposal in this field in early 2009. HMG has been in discussions with the Commission aimed at engendering a full understanding of why a proposal that included harmonizing provisions relating to the administration and distribution of the estate would inevitably lead to a UK non-opt-in. 

After months spent consulting on the content of its new 5-year (2010- 2014) work programme on justice and home affairs, the Commission is expected to present its plans in a Communication to be issued in late spring, 2009. 

All practising barristers are required to undertake CPD, whether as part of the New Practitioners’ Programme or Established Practitioners’ Programme. 

THE Bar Council, BPP Law School and Aimhigher West Yorkshire have hosted an event in Leeds designed to encourage state school students from non-traditional backgrounds to consider a career at the Bar. Aimhigher West Yorkshire is part of the national programme which aims to increase participation in higher education among school leavers, particularly with regard to those from non-traditional backgrounds. 

The JHA Council has agreed a general approach on the recent proposal for the establishment of a European Criminal Records Information System (ECRIS) (COM(2008)332 final). A pilot project has been launched to interconnect the criminal records of Spain, Belgium, Germany and France.