Responding to today's publication of the official Diversity of the Judiciary 2022 Statistics, Mark Fenhalls QC, Chair of the Bar Council, said:

The images of the Yazidis trapped on Mount Sinjar in Aug 2014, surrounded by fighters of the so-called Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), facing death by thirst in the searing desert heat or through capture, remains indelibly imprinted in all our minds.

The Government has announced the next steps in the criminal legal aid review including a Statutory Instrument to be laid in Parliament by 21 July to bring in a fee increase of 15% for the Advocates' Graduated Fee Scheme (AGFS – ie the fees paid to barristers) from 30 September 2022.

To mark Justice Week 2022, the Bar Council of England and Wales has highlighted the number of court closures and is calling for greater investment to help solve the problem.

The Bar Council is calling for urgent political commitment to funding capacity in the justice system, as it launches a new, live, interactive map of key national and regional data on access to justice across England and Wales.

When The Sunday Times broke the story of the murder of Kenyan woman Agnes Wanjiru – killed, an inquest judge said, at the hands of a British soldier – it was met with demands for justice from around the world.

Following the Prime Minister’s comments earlier today, the Bar Council and Law Society of England and Wales have issued the following joint statement:

Sunday marked five years since 22 people were murdered in the Manchester Arena terror attack. Their families’ and friends’ grief remains raw and endures, every minute of every day.

The government is running a consultation on its proposals to revise the Human Rights Act and replace it with a Bill of Rights. Chaminda Jayanetti argues the plans do not take into account just how hard it is to access justice across the UK

Responding to the wide range of legislation announced in today’s Queen’s Speech, Mark Fenhalls QC, chair of the Bar Council, said:

New data published today reveals the number of barristers practising full-time in criminal law has declined by more than 10% in 2020-21.

Today the Bar Council has launched a new project to foster dialogue, solidarity and support between barristers in England and Wales and Ukrainian lawyers.

The Bar Council’s response to the Government’s Legal Aid announcement:

MPs have urged the Chancellor to announce extra funding to ensure that hundreds of people wrongly convicted as part of the Post Office Horizon IT scandal are fully compensated.

The story of Anne Williams – and of the Hillsborough families - is a classic tale of David vs. Goliath. Earlier this month, millions across the country were captivated by the dramatisation of Anne’s story as she set about uncovering the truth surrounding the death of her son Kevin in the 1989 Hillsborough disaster.

People appear to have been variously outraged and delighted by the not guilty verdicts on the demonstrators who admitted pulling down the statue of Sir Edward Colston and rolling it into Bristol Harbour.

Following the publication of TheCityUK’s report into the value of UK legal services, the Bar Council has analysed income data from Bar Mutual, the profession’s insurer, and found a further increase in barristers’ income from overseas work, even in 2020. From 2005-2020, overseas income for barristers in England & Wales has tripled.

Mark Fenhalls QC, Chair-Elect of the Bar Council, inaugural speech.

At the Wise Group, we utilise hard-hitting mentorship to help people take control of their lives. Here’s how our data-driven insights and practical solutions can reconnect individuals with employment, skills, energy, and justice for a sustainable future.

The Bar Council’s Race Working Group has launched a new report addressing inequality at the Bar and proposing a series of recommendations for action.