*/
More than 50% of barristers do not sleep properly and hundreds are “emotionally exhausted”, according to a report published by the Bar Council.
The results, which followed a survey completed by 2,456 barristers, showed that 1,152 (47%) felt high levels of stress at work, with two thirds stating that their current level of stress had a negative impact on their performance.
Of the respondents, 384 (15%) reported feeling down or low in mood most or all the time and a fifth said they experienced shifts in mood most or all the time.
Criminal barristers and those aged 35-55 reported the highest level of work pressure and lowest mood.
More than half (1,364) said they did not enjoy good quality, refreshing sleep and 350 said they experienced emotional exhaustion.
Stigma around stress prevented individuals from seeking help. While few reported they were mentored, those who were, showed lower levels of work place stress and were significantly less likely than others to report low mood.
Alistair MacDonald QC, Chairman of the Bar, said the findings were a “major concern”.
“For too long, stress, mental health and wellbeing have been taboo subjects of discussion at the Bar and the wider legal sector,” he said.
He said the Bar Council would put in place initiatives to tackle the issues, including a mentoring scheme and an education programme to bring about a “cultural change” in relation to wellbeing at the Bar.
See Wellbeing at the Bar and Chairman’s Column for further analysis.
More than 50% of barristers do not sleep properly and hundreds are “emotionally exhausted”, according to a report published by the Bar Council.
The results, which followed a survey completed by 2,456 barristers, showed that 1,152 (47%) felt high levels of stress at work, with two thirds stating that their current level of stress had a negative impact on their performance.
Of the respondents, 384 (15%) reported feeling down or low in mood most or all the time and a fifth said they experienced shifts in mood most or all the time.
Criminal barristers and those aged 35-55 reported the highest level of work pressure and lowest mood.
More than half (1,364) said they did not enjoy good quality, refreshing sleep and 350 said they experienced emotional exhaustion.
Stigma around stress prevented individuals from seeking help. While few reported they were mentored, those who were, showed lower levels of work place stress and were significantly less likely than others to report low mood.
Alistair MacDonald QC, Chairman of the Bar, said the findings were a “major concern”.
“For too long, stress, mental health and wellbeing have been taboo subjects of discussion at the Bar and the wider legal sector,” he said.
He said the Bar Council would put in place initiatives to tackle the issues, including a mentoring scheme and an education programme to bring about a “cultural change” in relation to wellbeing at the Bar.
See Wellbeing at the Bar and Chairman’s Column for further analysis.
The new Bar Council earnings report presents a collective challenge for the self-employed Bar, remote hearings are changing and Bar Conference is back next month
Launch of the Institute of Neurotechnology and Law
Paul Magrath of ICLR recalls the chequered history of law reporting prior to the 1865 establishment of a Council of Law Reporting
Leading drug, alcohol and DNA testing laboratory, AlphaBiolabs, has made a £500 donation to North West charity Child Concern as part of its Giving Back campaign
Gail Evans, Technical Trainer at AlphaBiolabs, examines the latest trends in illicit drug use as seen in the laboratory, from designer drugs to ‘unexpected’ substances in a donor’s sample
Louise Crush explores the value you can measure in monetary terms alongside the many non-tangible benefits to working with a financial adviser
By Professor Jo Delahunty KC, Kate Brunner KC and Dr Ann Olivarius KC (Hon) OBE
The ‘non-party political’ employment silk advising Labour talks to Stephanie Hayward about employer failure to tackle workplace sexual harassment and the urgent need to reinvent whistleblowing culture
From Parliamentary standards to barrister standards – Kathryn Stone OBE, Chair of the Bar’s regulator, talks to Anthony Inglese CB about roots, respect and reviews
Jessica Foster reviews State Trials and Error – fundraising and showcasing the musical and theatrical talent within the legal profession
Alex Goodman KC on why our electoral laws need an urgent upgrade – they were not designed to address the corruption of popular opinion by AI and deepfakes