Legal practitioners from different backgrounds share their experiences of the developing regulatory area with Melissa Countinho
Today there appears to be more regulation than ever before, despite the aims of reducing unnecessary bureaucracy.
David Wurtzel interviews the incoming Chairman of the Bar, Chantal-Aimée Doerries QC
The 2016 Chairman of the Bar, Chantal-Aimée Doerries QC, came to the profession slightly by accident.
Daniel Sternberg reports back from this year’s Young Bar Conference
Over 150 employed and self-employed barristers and law students gathered on 17 October 2015 for the 11th Young Bar Conference.
Michael Zander gives his view on the Ministry of Justice’s consultation paper on the Quality of Advocacy
The 30th Annual Bar Conference, together this year with the Young Bar Conference, took place on 17 October. Counsel reports on the day
The Leaders report on the form and function of the Circuits today: what makes the Circuit structure work, how it represents individual voices and how it meets the profession’s needs
Dianne Martin and Dr Kate Harrington recount their respective experiences of setting up, and undertaking, one of the Bar’s first part-time pupillages and consider its wider applicability
Last month Counsel reported on the Snapshot survey of women at the Bar, and the issues it raised. Here, HHJ Deborah Taylor and Rachel Langdale QC explain the Temple Women’s Forum and the events it holds to highlight these issues
The Temple Women’s Forum was founded to encourage and support women barristers throughout their careers and so increase retention within the profession.
Only by going through the pupillage application process will students understand their chances of success. Joanne Wicks QC explains why and how applicants should be encouraged to apply for pupillage before undertaking the Bar Professional Training Course
Most barristers I speak to think that the ratio of Bar Professional Training Course (BPTC) places to pupillages is a scandal.
Adrian Jack follows up on the recruitment crisis in the High Court and reports on recent developments
The High Court recruitment crisis was highlighted in the July issue of Counsel .
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