Lord Neuberger in 2007 report had stated "the BAR can only flourish and retain public confidence if it is a diverse and inclusive profession"
Lord Neuberger Report:
He made a series of recommendations to ensure that the Bar selects entrants from all backgrounds. It was important that there was positive steps taken by the Bar Council and Inns of Court to improve access to the Bar. The Bar should be a reflection of society and the accused entering into the Criminal Justice System.
RACE working group:
In June 2020 the group was established to help advise on Bar Council activities and support those from different ethnic minority communities. The 2021 Report had addressed the level of inequality at the bar and argued for an improvement in chambers taking appropriate action. The purpose of the group is to identify barriers to race equality, design and implement positive action measures, anti-racist training for all staff, and publish an anti-racist statement for chambers and the public. To improve access to the bar for those from diverse backgrounds chambers has been advised to take upon the following actions. Target and setting evaluation, target recruitment and access programmes to increase diversity levels. Mentoring and network consolidation, enable those to learn from those with experience and support initative's to focus on mentoring and interview preparations. Further research should be undertaken to better understand why candidates from under-represented groups have not been shortlisted and selected for pupillage.
Social Mobility Commission:
Definition "Social mobility is the link between a person's occupation or income and the occupation or income of their parents. Where there is a strong link, there is a lower level of social mobility. Where there is a weak link, there is a higher level of social mobility".
The ambition of the Bar Council is to improve socio-economic diversity at all levels of the profession. They monitor socio-economic background applicants to the Bar and members of the Bar. Monitoring questions include: occupation of main household earner, type of secondary school attended, eligibility for free school meals and whether parents attended university. The Bar Inns of Court, circuits and individual chambers offer targeted outreach in schools, mentoring, financial support, paid internships and skills training.
Women:
Focusing initatives and programmes to support and promote equal opportunities. May 1922 Ivy Williams was the first woman was called to the Bar and 6 months later she was followed by Helena Normanton. The Women in Law Pledge is to tackle the issue of gender equality within the legal profession. It is important for the progression of women into senior roles and focusing on development opportunities, setting clear plans and targets around gender equality, and track progress. Women in Criminal Law are an organisation serving the vision of being a voice for women in the criminal justice sector. They promote the work in the Criminal Justice System, develop connections to progress within the field of practice and providing appropriate support to women (advice and skills training). There is also a chance for forum for debates and discussion of issues affecting women and representing women with concerns and interest.
Disability Panel:
The Panel includes barristers with a range of disabilities and expertise in disability issues. For Chambers there is a providance of an accessibility audit and information on reasonable adjustments. It is important that the barristers are able to communicate with clients and colleagues that are either deaf or hard of hearing. Tackling disability discrimination at the bar is important because it enables all advocates to practise without restrictions. Reasonable adjustments in chambers and courts should be applied to all barristers. The disability panel has engaged with the Courts and Tribunals Service and Judicial Office to access barriers in courts.
The Bar Standards Board:
In regards to diversity, equality of opportunity and enabling access to the profession the BSB is dedicated to remover barriers to qualification. The Equality and Diversity Code 1995 is a framework to establish diversity in chambers, fair recruitment, practice development and fair allocation of work. Further, the Council has supported the Crown Prosecution Service in developing statements in related to the Code.
Diversity at the Bar 2022
FEMALE PUPIL 263
MALE PUPIL 176
ASIAN PUPIL 9.2%
BLACK PUPIL 4.3%
Solutions:
Bar Council writes to around 7000 schools in England and Wales offering barrister speakers, with 1200 talks arranged a year. Placement programmes make the bar more accessible through working in co-operation with social mobility groups. It enables students to decide whether law is the career to study at university or made aware that they can still go into the career under a conversion course.
The Bar Council offers Equality and Diversity, Compliance and Wellbeing courses. This enables those in the legal profession to further their knowledge, becoming aware and understand the impact of equal rights for all at the bar. Some of the courses include: fair recruitment, advanced equality and diversity, tackling harassment, and anti-money laundering.
Until the next Legal Thought
Elicia Maxwell
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