*/
Lachlan Stewart wants to improve the working lives of all members of the young Bar across the country. The 2025 Chair of the Young Barristers’ Committee sets out his four key priorities for the year ahead
I’m hugely proud to take on the role of Chair of the Young Barristers’ Committee (YBC) 2025. For those who are not already familiar with the YBC, our role is to advocate for, and be the voice of young barristers, on issues which matter to them. This is a wide ambit. It ranges from policy work such as helping produce reports and guidance for young barristers and responding to government consultations, to organising international programmes such as the Anglo-Dutch Exchange and professional development webinars for young barristers.
My tenure must begin with a number of thanks to acknowledge that, in many senses, my aim for 2025 is to continue the hard work and dedication of my predecessors. I am grateful to Amrit Kaur Dhanoa for chairing the YBC in 2024, and also to Michael Harwood (2023) and Michael Polak (2022). Thanks must also go to Stuart McMillan, who left his role at the Bar Council last summer having served as policy adviser to the YBC during the testing years of the COVID-19 pandemic. I am excited to be working with Nathan Trotter, who has already excelled as Stuart’s replacement, and Amelia Clegg, who has been elected as Vice-Chair of the YBC for 2025.
When considering our priorities for this year, I have thought carefully about the current state of our profession while drawing upon my own personal experiences. I am a ‘COVID pupil’ having completed a mixed common law pupillage at a Birmingham-based set in 2019-20. I understand the challenges that publicly funded work brings, having undertaken such work in criminal, family and civil law. Pulling this all together, I set out four key priorities for the YBC in 2025:
I am determined to work with the YBC to do everything we can to help hold those in power to account. We must increase funding to our court centres and improve payment for publicly funded work. Court backlogs, crumbling court buildings and chronic poor payment have intersected in recent years, as highlighted in the Bar Council’s Justice short changed report.
All being well, like much of young Bar, I intend to still be at the Bar in 25+ years’ time. As such, funding today is our tomorrow. There has already been some progress announced in the government’s Autumn Budget but more needs to be done. We must ensure the young Bar’s voice is heard on any proposals that are put forward as to how to reduce the damage done to our system. I am particularly interested in the Levenson Review and will ensure that the voice of young practitioners is well reflected in Bar Council’s engagement with it.
The Bar has operated in certain ways for hundreds of years, but the pandemic permanently altered the way in which barristers work and are trained. Such change has brought benefits but also real disadvantages in terms of how more junior barristers learn and are supported in their practice. This was evidenced in the Bar Council’s Wellbeing at the Bar report 2024. In response to our members’ concerns, the YBC produced remote working guidance. The issue is not going away and I will lead the YBC in doing all we can to make sure the future of work is working for the Young Bar.
Circuits and specialist Bar associations rightly play a crucial role in a practitioner’s working life. I am proud to call myself a ‘Circuiteer’ and wish to build the YBC’s engagement with these organisations. The Bar is more than just London, and the Bar Council is here to serve the whole profession.
The YBC and Bar Council must reach out to all members of the young Bar across the country. This is firstly to ensure that all young barristers are heard and represented. Secondly, I want to make sure that all the opportunities we have to offer to young barristers are known about and that those who want to, can take advantage of them. The YBC has a good number of employed barristers in its ranks and I hope to draw on their experience to engage further with the employed Bar.
Sadly, bullying, discrimination and harassment at the Bar is an issue that has been felt most acutely by young barristers. However, things are moving the right direction. The Bar Council’s Race at the Bar: three years on report found that there has been some progress with access, retention, progression and culture but we must keep up the momentum.
A significant development is Harriet Harman KC’s Independent Review into Bullying and Harassment at the Bar. Due to be published in the summer, this is an opportunity for real reflection and change across the profession. The YBC has a crucial role to play in engaging with the review’s findings and proposals. Our legacy will hopefully be a fairer and more inclusive profession to work in.
The YBC may be a group of around 20 barristers, but we are here to be the voice for the whole of the young Bar. If you are a young barrister, or just generally aware of an issue that is affecting the young Bar that is not being addressed, we want to hear from you. Please get in touch via email (YBC@barcouncil.org.uk) or on X (@YoungBarristers).
I am excited for the privilege to represent all of you in the year to come.
I’m hugely proud to take on the role of Chair of the Young Barristers’ Committee (YBC) 2025. For those who are not already familiar with the YBC, our role is to advocate for, and be the voice of young barristers, on issues which matter to them. This is a wide ambit. It ranges from policy work such as helping produce reports and guidance for young barristers and responding to government consultations, to organising international programmes such as the Anglo-Dutch Exchange and professional development webinars for young barristers.
My tenure must begin with a number of thanks to acknowledge that, in many senses, my aim for 2025 is to continue the hard work and dedication of my predecessors. I am grateful to Amrit Kaur Dhanoa for chairing the YBC in 2024, and also to Michael Harwood (2023) and Michael Polak (2022). Thanks must also go to Stuart McMillan, who left his role at the Bar Council last summer having served as policy adviser to the YBC during the testing years of the COVID-19 pandemic. I am excited to be working with Nathan Trotter, who has already excelled as Stuart’s replacement, and Amelia Clegg, who has been elected as Vice-Chair of the YBC for 2025.
When considering our priorities for this year, I have thought carefully about the current state of our profession while drawing upon my own personal experiences. I am a ‘COVID pupil’ having completed a mixed common law pupillage at a Birmingham-based set in 2019-20. I understand the challenges that publicly funded work brings, having undertaken such work in criminal, family and civil law. Pulling this all together, I set out four key priorities for the YBC in 2025:
I am determined to work with the YBC to do everything we can to help hold those in power to account. We must increase funding to our court centres and improve payment for publicly funded work. Court backlogs, crumbling court buildings and chronic poor payment have intersected in recent years, as highlighted in the Bar Council’s Justice short changed report.
All being well, like much of young Bar, I intend to still be at the Bar in 25+ years’ time. As such, funding today is our tomorrow. There has already been some progress announced in the government’s Autumn Budget but more needs to be done. We must ensure the young Bar’s voice is heard on any proposals that are put forward as to how to reduce the damage done to our system. I am particularly interested in the Levenson Review and will ensure that the voice of young practitioners is well reflected in Bar Council’s engagement with it.
The Bar has operated in certain ways for hundreds of years, but the pandemic permanently altered the way in which barristers work and are trained. Such change has brought benefits but also real disadvantages in terms of how more junior barristers learn and are supported in their practice. This was evidenced in the Bar Council’s Wellbeing at the Bar report 2024. In response to our members’ concerns, the YBC produced remote working guidance. The issue is not going away and I will lead the YBC in doing all we can to make sure the future of work is working for the Young Bar.
Circuits and specialist Bar associations rightly play a crucial role in a practitioner’s working life. I am proud to call myself a ‘Circuiteer’ and wish to build the YBC’s engagement with these organisations. The Bar is more than just London, and the Bar Council is here to serve the whole profession.
The YBC and Bar Council must reach out to all members of the young Bar across the country. This is firstly to ensure that all young barristers are heard and represented. Secondly, I want to make sure that all the opportunities we have to offer to young barristers are known about and that those who want to, can take advantage of them. The YBC has a good number of employed barristers in its ranks and I hope to draw on their experience to engage further with the employed Bar.
Sadly, bullying, discrimination and harassment at the Bar is an issue that has been felt most acutely by young barristers. However, things are moving the right direction. The Bar Council’s Race at the Bar: three years on report found that there has been some progress with access, retention, progression and culture but we must keep up the momentum.
A significant development is Harriet Harman KC’s Independent Review into Bullying and Harassment at the Bar. Due to be published in the summer, this is an opportunity for real reflection and change across the profession. The YBC has a crucial role to play in engaging with the review’s findings and proposals. Our legacy will hopefully be a fairer and more inclusive profession to work in.
The YBC may be a group of around 20 barristers, but we are here to be the voice for the whole of the young Bar. If you are a young barrister, or just generally aware of an issue that is affecting the young Bar that is not being addressed, we want to hear from you. Please get in touch via email (YBC@barcouncil.org.uk) or on X (@YoungBarristers).
I am excited for the privilege to represent all of you in the year to come.
Lachlan Stewart wants to improve the working lives of all members of the young Bar across the country. The 2025 Chair of the Young Barristers’ Committee sets out his four key priorities for the year ahead
Barbara Mills KC, the new Chair of the Bar, outlines some key themes and priorities
Rachel Davenport, Co-founder and Director at AlphaBiolabs, discusses the role that drug, alcohol and DNA testing can play in non-court dispute resolution (NCDR)
Casey Randall explores what makes AlphaBiolabs the industry leader for court-admissible DNA testing
By Louise Crush of Westgate Wealth Management
A family lawyer has won a £500 donation for her preferred charity, an education centre for women from disadvantaged backgrounds, thanks to drug, alcohol and DNA testing laboratory AlphaBiolabs’ Giving Back campaign
Louise Crush of Westgate Wealth Management highlights some of the ways you can cut your IHT bill
What's it like being a legal trainee at the Crown Prosecution Service? Amy describes what drew her to the role, the skills required and a typical day in the life
Barbara Mills KC wants to raise the profile of the family Bar. She also wants to improve wellbeing and enhance equality, diversity and inclusion in the profession. She talks to Joshua Rozenberg KC (hon) about her plans for the year ahead
Are Birmingham’s Intensive Supervision Courts successfully turning women offenders’ lives around? Chloe Ashley talks to District Judge Michelle Smith
Professor Dominic Regan and Seán Jones KC identify good value bottles across the price spectrum – from festive fizz to reliable reds
Governments who play fast and loose with the law get into real trouble, says the new Attorney General. The Rt Hon Lord Hermer KC talks to Anthony Inglese CB about what drew this boy from Cardiff to the Bar, bringing the barrister ethos to the front bench, and how he will be measuring success
