Chair's Column

As 2015 draws to a close, reflections on the past year as Chairman of the Bar  

This is my last Chairman’s column for Counsel  and I thought that I would set out a few thoughts and reflections which have occurred to me over the course of the past year. 

Reflecting upon the changing business practices of the profession, the resulting fragility of chambers’ structures, and the need for all chambers to ensure proper dissolution arrangements are in place  

In recent months, a highly-regarded set of commercial and chancery chambers has felt it necessary to enter a voluntary dissolution.  

An invitation to this year’s Bar Conference and Young Bar Conference; the reason behind choosing the conference theme; and explaining all that delegates can look forward to on the day  

It is that time of year again and, as we contemplate what the autumn holds in store, we look forward to the Bar Council’s flagship event, the Bar Conference and Young Bar Conference.  

What can the UK legal system learn from the Chicago Bar Foundation’s innovative Justice Entrepreneurs Project?  

The American Bar Association Conference (ABA) was held recently in Chicago.  

Taking part in the Pride parade and reflecting upon all that this day represents for the Bar and for the country  

Saturday 27 June was an absolutely beautiful day.  

On the 800th anniversary of the sealing of Magna Carta, a review of its literal and spiritual meaning, the undermining of this very meaning and the fight for the future of access to justice  

I am writing today on the 800th anniversary of the sealing of Magna Carta whose origins lie in the disastrous defeat of King John at the Battle of Bouvines, in Northern France.  

The life of the self-employed barrister; the background to, and results of, the recent Bar Council “Wellbeing Survey”; what was revealed; and the action now needed.  

No-one has ever suggested that life at the Bar is easy.  

Following a successful visit to Brazil, a Bar delegation journeys to Kazakhstan; the importance of international missions; and how the decision to visit countries with poor human rights records is carefully weighed.  

I am set to lead a substantial delegation of the Bar to Kazakhstan at the end of April.  

The need for the Bar to be representative of all of society; Bar placement week; working to ensure that younger members of the Bar are able to earn a living wage; and a call for volunteer chambers for next year’s placement and mentoring schemes.  

Over February half-term, I was delighted to join a group of very talented and enthusiastic students on the final day of the Bar Council’s Leeds and Manchester Bar Placement Week 2015. 

The new way of calculating the practising certificate fee; compulsory and voluntary payments; the provision of core services; and investing together in access to justice.  

It is that time of year again when the Bar Council asks you to pay for the privilege of remaining a barrister for the next 12 months.