Data is vital to improving diversity: Bar Council response to BSB Diversity Report
The Bar Council has responded to the BSB’s annual Diversity at the Bar report, published today.
Chairman of the Bar, Andrew Langdon QC said: “I am urging all barristers, whatever their backgrounds, to disclose their diversity data when they renew their practising certificates this year.
“This data, published today by the BSB, is what the Bar Council uses to inform all its equality and diversity programmes, and the work it undertakes to improve social mobility in the profession.
“One of the key challenges is to get women to stay in the profession for longer, widening the pool of talented women available so that more can apply for silk and judicial appointment. We also need to increase the number of BAME barristers who become QCs and go to the bench, and to enable more state school students to join the profession. If we succeed, we will have a legal profession and judiciary that reflect the communities they serve.
“As a profession we are becoming more diverse. The Bar Council is driving change through a range of long-running programmes. These include mentoring women and BAME barristers, providing leading equality and diversity advice to chambers, and promoting the Bar to state school students, but none would be possible without the data that underpins our work and guides new initiatives.”
