Profiles

Name: Alan Austin
Position: Senior Clerk 

Chambers: 9 Stone Buildings 

David Wurtzel meets Sir Geoffrey Nice QC, the Vice-Chairman of the Bar Standards Board and discovers  it is a wise regulator who knows his own profession 

David Wurtzel begins his introduction of the lay members of the Bar Standards Board 

Because they are not elected—although they are appointed in accordance with Nolan principles—the lay members of the Bar Standards Broad (“BSB”) have tended to be remote from ordinary barristers both in terms of what they do and of who they are. Counsel therefore decided to begin to introduce the lay members to its readership. There are seven lay members (including the Chair, Baroness Ruth Deech) on the BSB who are (in alphabetical order): Mrs Sarah Brown; Dr John Carrier; Ms Paula Diggle; Dr Vicki Harris; Professor Peter Hutton; and Richard Thompson OBE. David Wurtzel, Counsel’s Consultant Editor, met three of them in January and February 2010. 

Name: Chris Owen 

Position: CEO 

Chambers: St Philips 

Tom Allen meets Edward Fitzgerald CBE QC—the thorn in the side of successive governments 

“You always hear him before you see him’’ warns the smiling receptionist at Doughty Street Chambers. “He’s not always great with time keeping, but don’t worry. We’ll find him.” She glances around. “He must be somewhere. Has anyone seen Edward?” People rummage through rooms, as if looking for a shoe or a belt but there is no immediate sign. Then a door slams, a voice booms and there is laughter. Edward Fitzgerald CBE QC has been located. 

Names: Alex Taylor and Paul Martenstyn 

Positions: Director of Clerking and Team Leader 

Chambers: Fountain Court 

Name: Nick Newman
Position: Senior Clerk
Chambers:  Cloth Fair Chambers 

Names: Iain Milligan QC and Brian Lee
Positions: Head of Chambers and Senior Clerk
Chambers: 20 Essex Street 

Name: Gerard Hickie
Position: Chief Executive
Chambers: Littleton Chambers 

David Wurtzel meets Sue Carr QC, Chairman of the Complaints Committee of the Bar Standards Board, and discovers how the new complaints procedure is working in practice