BSB hits back at Today programme attack on barrister disciplinary system


Deech: we operate in an open and transparent manner

The Bar Standards Board (BSB) has hit back at criticism on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme of the way in which it conducts disciplinary proceedings against barristers.

Yesterday the programme – which featured a contribution from Legal Futures editor Neil Rose – reported on claims of “secrecy, incompetence and maladministration”.

Marc Beaumont of Windsor Chambers, described as ‘the barrister’s barrister’ for his role in representing barristers facing disciplinary proceedings, described “systemic defects”, such as a lack of transparency and a lack of fairness. “If I was to say that the system appears to be in a state of collapse, I do not think that is an exaggeration,” he said.

Among the other issues raised were possible conflicts of interest for ‘sponsor’ barristers – who investigate conduct complaints on behalf of the BSB – and the problems with appointments made to disciplinary tribunals, which have been reported extensively by this website.

In response, BSB chair Baroness Ruth Deech said: “As a competent, transparent and public interest regulator, the Bar Standards Board continues to promote and uphold the highest regulatory standards. We pride ourselves on the fact that we operate in an open and transparent manner, and our disciplinary processes serve to underline the fact that we take complaints by the public of professional misconduct extremely seriously.

“We are continually refining and improving our processes, especially in the light of the scale of change which the legal profession is currently undergoing, and we are making excellent progress. We have been particularly heartened by recent developments on the Council of the Inns of Court, which allows us to look more closely at our options for the administration of our disciplinary system, currently under active consideration.

“Independent scrutiny has attested to our openness and transparency. As an organisation, we continually work to ensure that we meet regulatory best practice standards.”

 

Tags:




Leave a Comment

By clicking Submit you consent to Legal Futures storing your personal data and confirm you have read our Privacy Policy and section 5 of our Terms & Conditions which deals with user-generated content. All comments will be moderated before posting.

Required fields are marked *
Email address will not be published.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Blog


GEO – the impact of AI on digital marketing for law firms

GEO represents the biggest change in online business generation that I can remember. You cannot afford to stick with the same old engine optimisation techniques.


What the law can learn from fintech’s onboarding revolution

Client onboarding has always been slow. It’s not just about the paperwork and manual workflows; it’s also about those long AML checks and verifications.


Civil enforcement – progress at last with CJC report

‘When do I get my money?’ is a question that litigators acting for successful parties are used to fielding. The value of judgments is of course in the recovery made.


Loading animation