*/
Judges and lawyers are at risk of mental ‘collapse’, the new Head of the Family Division warned, stating that ‘wellbeing’ is top of his agenda.
Sir Andrew McFarlane told the annual conference of the Legal Aid Practitioners Group in October that high workloads, long hours and a lack of resources were putting judges and lawyers under immense pressure.
He said the Chair of the Bar reported that judges were emailing barristers late at night and at four o’clock in the morning.
Warning that the justice system faced a ‘serious moment’, Sir Andrew said: ‘People are saying the system will fall over... In fact the system won’t fall over; the system won’t collapse. The system will grind on. What might happen and does happen is that individuals in the system – people will fall over, will collapse.’
Judges and lawyers are at risk of mental ‘collapse’, the new Head of the Family Division warned, stating that ‘wellbeing’ is top of his agenda.
Sir Andrew McFarlane told the annual conference of the Legal Aid Practitioners Group in October that high workloads, long hours and a lack of resources were putting judges and lawyers under immense pressure.
He said the Chair of the Bar reported that judges were emailing barristers late at night and at four o’clock in the morning.
Warning that the justice system faced a ‘serious moment’, Sir Andrew said: ‘People are saying the system will fall over... In fact the system won’t fall over; the system won’t collapse. The system will grind on. What might happen and does happen is that individuals in the system – people will fall over, will collapse.’
Now is the time to tackle inappropriate behaviour at the Bar as well as extend our reach and collaboration with organisations and individuals at home and abroad
A comparison – Dan Monaghan, Head of DWF Chambers, invites two viewpoints
And if not, why not? asks Louise Crush of Westgate Wealth Management
Marie Law, Head of Toxicology at AlphaBiolabs, discusses the many benefits of oral fluid drug testing for child welfare and protection matters
To mark International Women’s Day, Louise Crush of Westgate Wealth Management looks at how financial planning can help bridge the gap
Casey Randall of AlphaBiolabs answers some of the most common questions regarding relationship DNA testing for court
Maria Scotland and Niamh Wilkie report from the Bar Council’s 2024 visit to the United Arab Emirates exploring practice development opportunities for the England and Wales family Bar
Marking Neurodiversity Week 2025, an anonymous barrister shares the revelations and emotions from a mid-career diagnosis with a view to encouraging others to find out more
David Wurtzel analyses the outcome of the 2024 silk competition and how it compares with previous years, revealing some striking trends and home truths for the profession
Save for some high-flyers and those who can become commercial arbitrators, it is generally a question of all or nothing but that does not mean moving from hero to zero, says Andrew Hillier
