June 11, 2010 – “Future of the Bar” document published by Bar Council of England & Wales
11/06/2010
The Bar Council of England & Wales, which represents over 15,000 practising barristers, has set out a radical and progressive vision for the future of the Bar. Described as "a new blueprint for the profession", The Future of the Bar states:
"In a climate of ever-increasing competitiveness the Bar has to fight its corner... Change has become necessary. In some respects this has been easier to carry out during the recession because the fear of the impact of the recession and of increased competition has made the Bar more amenable to a message that urges reform... It is now urged on in this endeavour by many in the profession who see rule change as critical to future survival. Such has been the alteration in perception that rule changes that were just a few years ago seen as heretical are now seen as not going far enough. The volte face in the corporate psychology of the Bar has been nothing short of remarkable. So, the Bar has removed restrictions upon barristers practising in partnerships, it has increased the ability of the Bar to conduct litigation, it has increased the right of barristers to engage in direct access work, it has permitted barristers to work with dual status (for example, employed and self-employed) and it has removed anachronistic restrictions upon sharing premises. And there is yet more to come."
