By JOHN PUGH-SMITH, Barrister, 39 Essex Chambers Introduction It is an “inconvenient truth” (as the titled 2006 film then described climate change) and litigation reality that the current civil justice system is broken. Indeed, at last November’s Civil Mediation Council Annual Conference (held online), the keynote address by Sir Geoffrey Voss MR included mention of the need for litigants to “exit the court system” as soon as achievable. No doubt, this remark was not only prompted by the, then, administrative...

The Bar Council has welcomed the announcement from the Bar Standard Board (BSB) that it will not press ahead with proposals to change the barristers’ core duty on equality and diversity. The headline recommendation in the BSB consultation last year was to amend Core Duty 8 from a clear duty not to discriminate to a duty to advance or promote EDI. The Bar Council strongly opposed the move explaining that, among other things, its lack of clarity would make it impossible to enforce and could reduce overall commitment to EDI initiatives. The BSB will now work with the profession to develop a strategy with a plan for monitoring progress on improving...

Like many criminal barristers, I entered the profession with...

  Author: Baldip Singh, Barrister No5 Barristers’ Chambers My trial settled...

By Sunyana Sharma, Barrister, 3 Paper Buildings As I start...

When New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern resigned recently,...