Barristers

A barrister who failed to give “unwelcome advice” to an “over-enthusiastic client” has been suspended for a month by a Bar disciplinary tribunal.

An experienced barrister should not have been suspended for “mere gossip” in the robing rooms of Crown Courts, the High Court was told this week.

The Bar Standards Board was told yesterday that it will be held to account over how it deals with poor-quality criminal advocacy after its decision to ditch QASA.

Any fees not yet paid to a barrister at the time of his bankruptcy do not vest in his trustee in bankruptcy if they arise on a non-contractual basis, the High Court has ruled.

A barrister already suspended multiple times by Bar disciplinary tribunals has been fined a total of £4,000 and permanently banned from direct access work.

QCs should not lose their designation unless they are excluded from the profession and even then not automatically, the Bar Council has said.

The Court of Appeal has rejected what it described as a “cynical” attempt by two criminals to blame their barrister for confiscation orders made against them.

Barco, the Bar Council’s third-party escrow service used by barristers and solicitors, has shut down after “suitable” commercial providers entered the market.

When small businesses believe they can trust the transparency of legal providers on fees, they are twice as likely to seek the advice of lawyers, according to the Legal Services Board.

An experienced criminal law barrister has been fined by a disciplinary tribunal for failing to apply for a forfeiture order on behalf of his client.