The Bar Council

16/10/2026

Oracy is a crucial skill, not just for barristers but for people in all walks of life, so we welcome this commitment to embed it into the national curriculum.

Our free Speak for Success resources, aligned with the national curriculum in England and Wales and supported by funding from The Council of the Inns of Court (COIC), are designed to empower primary school pupils with essential oracy skills and confidence.

There is no need to wait until the new curriculum to boost oracy skills and maybe even inspire the next generation of barristers - please share our resources with the primary schools in your network.

We’re hardwiring oracy into the revised National Curriculum, so speaking, listening, and communicating will light up every classroom.

Read Lucy Powell MP's speech in full: https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/education-secretary-speech-at-cst-conference-2026

13/10/2026

Coming along to this weekend's Pupillage Fair?

This is what last year's attendees had to say ⬇️

If you didn't manage to grab a ticket to this year's in person event, you can still come along to this week's online webinars. Get a free ticket via the link below.

06/10/2026

Help us gather information about the late delivery of prisoners to criminal, family or youth courts.

If your case has been delayed due to the late delivery of individuals in custody to court, report it to us. Please submit a report each time you experience a delay.

Make a report now⤵️

05/10/2026

Today we celebrate the government recognising that and listening to the expertise and experience of the Bar - but the fight goes on.

We continue to oppose the government's proposal to remove the right to elect and increase magistrates’ sentencing powers.

The magistrates’ courts are not coping with their caseload whilst the Crown Court backlog is stabilising. Putting more pressure on the magistrates’ courts rather than focusing on reforms that actually are working in reducing delays in the Crown Court will not help our criminal justice system.

Read our Chair Kirsty Brimelow KC's full response to yesterday's announcement in this new blog⤵️

04/10/2026

Justice prevails – the government has announced it will no longer be scrapping jury trials.

This is a huge win for our campaign. Thank you to the Criminal Bar Association, all the Circuit leaders and everyone who wrote and spoke to their MP, signed our letter to the PM and attended our events.

The government has finally listened to the Bar’s unwavering opposition to restricting the right to a jury trial.

We have long called for the focus to be on fixing the swathe of inefficiencies plaguing the system – we know that many can be resolved, and that will make a difference now.

Read our full response⬇️

01/10/2026

Ahead of the Opening of the Legal Year service in Westminster Abbey, Kirsty Brimelow KC was honoured to deliver the speech on behalf of the Bar at the swearing in of the new Lord Chancellor, the Right Honourable Alex Norris MP, the Attorney General, The Rt Hon Ellie Reeves KC MP, and the Solicitor General, Andy Slaughter MP.

In her speech, Kirsty drew on the history of the offices and how the roles have changed over time. She offered congratulations and committed to working closely with the Lord Chancellor and law officers to tackle the crisis in criminal justice: “The poor condition and capacity of our courts, depletion of legal aid, prisons at capacity and unacceptable delays through decades of underinvestment mean that you have had to hit the ground running.”

She said: “You can be assured that the Bar will work constructively with you where we can; speak candidly to you where we must; and remain, throughout, committed to our common responsibility for the administration of justice and safeguarding the integrity of our legal system.”

At the service, Bar leaders and judges reflected on the year and looked forward to the future.

The tradition is a chance for our colleagues to gather from all over the world and join the procession at Westminster Abbey.

Picture 1 - Kirsty Brimelow KC and the Rt Hon Alex Norris MP
Picture 2 - Kirsty Brimelow KC and the Lady Chief Justice
Picture 3 - Circuit leaders with the Chair and Vice Chair of the Bar Council

26/09/2026

Delays caused by defendants being delivered late to court, Crown court backlogs and impact on victims were among the topics discussed at the latest MP court visits, supporting politicians to hear about the issues affecting the criminal justice system directly from those working within it.

We have long called for more funding for our overstretched and resource-starved justice system and measures to tackle inefficiencies to reduce the court backlogs.

The latest figures on record court backlogs in England and Wales provide further evidence that the government should scrap the previous administration’s plans to restrict access to jury trials.

The number of cases open for a year or more has reached a peak of 23,706, which is 22% higher than the previous year and 5% higher than the previous quarter. The median age of open cases has continued to increase, reaching 203 days, meaning complainants, defendants and witnesses are waiting longer than ever for justice.

You can read more via the link in the comments.

Thank you to all the MPs for coming and listening to our concerns, to barristers for sharing their views, and for the support from Circuit Leaders and the Criminal Bar Association.



Picture 1 - Liz Saville Roberts MP with barrister Elen Owen at Caernarfon Justice Centre.

Picture 2 - Sarah Jones KC (Leader of the Western Circuit) and the Rt Hon John Glen MP at Salisbury Law Courts.

22/09/2026

Last week Chair of the Bar Kirsty Brimelow KC and barrister Colin Wells spent the evening with Parkinson's UK, hearing from world-class experts about the latest breakthroughs in understanding causes of the condition and the development of promising new drugs.

Earlier this year Colin shared a blog about his own diagnosis of Parkinson's and described how his clerking team have supported him to carry on practising at the Bar.

Colin said: "I discussed the diagnosis with my senior clerk. He asked me what I wanted to do. He listened to me. He did not ask any questions, he just let me have my say.

"The process of adjustment has been greatly assisted by discussing the matters with my clerks, who have been very supportive, and encouraging."

You can read Colin's blog via the link in the comments. You can also find links to our guides and resources, developed by our Disability Panel.

A session at this year's Bar Conference will explore the evolving landscape of access, inclusion, and support at the Bar, drawing on lived experience and emerging initiatives across the profession.

The discussion will examine how disability intersects with professional identity, culture, and expectations within chambers and the courts, with particular attention to the often under-recognised challenges associated with disabilities and health conditions.

Join this year's Bar Conference on Saturday 14 November in London. ⬇️

Picture: Caroline Rassell (Chief Executive of Parkinson's UK, Colin Wells and Kirsty Brimelow KC)

21/09/2026

Today the government has announced that specialist r**e and serious s*x offences courtrooms will be rolled out across every Crown Court in England and Wales.

Chair of the Bar Council Kirsty Brimelow KC said: “We are pleased the government has taken a new approach to reduce court delays and deliver timely justice for victims, complainants and defendants.

"Specialist courts, unlike the proposals to curtail jury trials, have already been shown to work so today’s announcement is a move in the right direction.

"We would urge the government to also include domestic abuse cases alongside r**e and serious s*xual offences in this new scheme.

"The Bar Council has consistently called on the government to honour its 2024 manifesto promise and set up specialist s*xual and domestic abuse courts, rather than restrict jury trials.”

Hear Kirsty speaking about the announcement on BBC Radio 5 Live this morning.

For our full response, you can find the link to our press release in the comments. ⬇️

You can also listen to the full interview on BBC Sounds.

19/09/2026

The Telegraph reports that the government is set to scrap its proposal to reduce the right to a jury trial.

It's encouraging that the government appears to be listening.

However, it is reportedly continuing with its proposals to remove the right of defendants to opt for a jury trial in 'either way' cases which can be heard in either the Crown Court or magistrates' court.

Our Chair Kirsty Brimelow KC told the Telegraph: "Parliament has decided certain offences are so serious to the public or defendant that the defendant is entitled to elect a jury trial. If this election is removed, what criteria would be applied? Would there be an appeal?

“The backlog in magistrates’ courts is rising much faster in the crown courts. This change might simply increase delays in the magistrates’ courts.”

Read more⬇️