Barristers

The Bar Standards Board has been urged to take control from the Inns of Court of deciding whether someone is ‘fit and proper’ to be called to the Bar.

Barrister Michael Shrimpton – who was jailed for a bomb hoax at the London Olympics – has been disbarred by a disciplinary tribunal.

A solicitor and barrister have separately been sanctioned for drink-drive offences, although only the latter appeared before a disciplinary tribunal.

The Bar Council has reacted with outrage to training reforms that it says would automatically ‘passport’ solicitors with higher rights of audience to become barristers.

Consumers tend to shop around or use a public access barrister and ignore their solicitor’s recommendation only when trust had broken down, according to research.

Making chambers’ websites tell clients that they may contact the set for a quote “demonstrates a commitment to transparency and facilitating ‘shopping around’”, the BSB has insisted.

It would be “extremely disappointing” if barristers became more defensive in their behaviour once the standard of proof for disciplinary matters was lowered, the BSB has said.

Small businesses are less price sensitive than expected, but value price certainty, unpublished research by the Solicitors Regulation Authority has found.

Robing rooms may be a private sanctuary for barristers but they cannot be viewed as a “no-go area” for their regulator, the High Court has ruled.

A barrister has been suspended for six months by a Bar disciplinary tribunal for acting as an advocate in the High Court before and during his pupillage.