By Malcolm Trotter, global education and training professional If you are going to invest in yourself and your legal future career prospects by studying to gain a recognised qualification, this will come at a cost both financially and in the commitment of your time and effort. When making an investment (or any expenditure), you really want to be sure that the future value you will receive is likely to exceed what you have put in. So what are the potential benefits to be gained from achieving qualifications? Will they be worth the investment? Before looking at what the range of benefits flowing ..read more

By Mike Taylor, Managing Director, i-Lit Limited  Introduction Professor Karim Lakhani of Harvard Business School helpfully contextualises AI technology when he states, “Just as the internet has drastically lowered the cost of information transmission, AI will lower the cost of cognition.” On 30th January 2024 the Information and Technology Panel of the Bar Council released a document called “Considerations when using ChatGPT and generative artificial intelligence software based on large language models”. Its purpose was to “assist barristers in understanding the technological basis ..read more

Edward Henry KC of Mountford Chambers is a highly experienced legal commentator for TV, radio, online articles, and newspapers who is representing 5 former sub postmasters/mistresses at the Post Office Horizon Inquiry. He is available to speak with journalists, editors, and TV researchers on all topics relating to criminal law and matters which have social justice issues at the heart of them. Unlike many other barristers, he is comfortable speaking with the press, in a manner that is  engaging, eloquent and authoritative. He has appeared on BBC News, BBC Newsnight, Sky News, ITV News, IT ..read more

Louis Browne KC from Exchange Chambers appeared before the First Tier Tribunal – Criminal Injuries Compensation, representing the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority and also acted as amicus curiae (“friend of the court”). The case concerned an application made under paragraph 13 of the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme 1990 to reconsider a case involving a young woman who has substantially outlived her life expectancy. The 1990 Scheme is a forerunner of the tariff schemes now in place. It is a non-statutory ex gratia scheme which was created under prerogative powers and designed ..read more

    By Anna Rubbi,  Guernica 37 Chambers How do UK sanctions against Russia measure up against international law, and the principles of state sovereignty and non-intervention in? Has the UK sufficiently justified the imposition of unilateral sanctions by reference to international law? Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is undeniably an egregious breach of international law deserving condemnation and action from the international community, but international law should not be put to one side when its rules become an inconvenience. Unilateral “sanctions”, usually of an economic nature ..read more

Bar Council media briefing Thursday 28 March 2024 Ministry of Justice statistics   The latest quarterly Ministry of Justice official statistics on were published today (Thursday 28 March 2024). Commenting on the data, Sam Townend KC, Chair of the Bar Council, said: “It is disappointing that there is still no progress made on reducing the backlog in the Crown Court. The Government target remains to reduce the backlog down to 53,000 by the end of November, but this is looking vanishingly unlikely. “Further investment and support for the justice system is desperately needed. Whilst we a ..read more

The recent BBC investigation into Employee Assistance Providers (EAPs)[i], has forced organisations within the legal industry to evaluate how they are supporting employee mental health and to consider alternative approaches that allow their employees to access much needed and effective professional support. Employee mental health has garnered increasing attention in recent years, especially since the pandemic, with stress, depression and anxiety areas of particular concern. Working within law is highly pressurised and competitive and this brings challenges that can exacerbate issues aroun ..read more

The Bar Standards Board (BSB) has today published our  annual Business Plan which explains what we shall be doing during 2024-25 to take forward our strategic aims, as set out in the BSB Strategy 2022-2025. The full Plan can be downloaded here. In what is the final year of our current three-year strategy, we shall continue to reform our regulatory capability while also completing strategic programmes of work aimed at maintaining high professional and ethical standards at the Bar and promoting both diversity and access. We are continuing to focus on achieving operationa ..read more

 4PB is proud to announce that Rachael Kelsey, the current President of the International Academy of Family Lawyers (IAFL) and internationally renowned Scottish family lawyer, has accepted an invitation to become an associate tenant of 4PB from immediate effect. Many of Rachael’s cases have international or intra-UK jurisdictional issues, an area of specialism for which she is well known and in respect of which she has built up a UK-wide practice. She has a particular interest in the issues that arise when acting for individuals in same-sex relationships. Rachael received t ..read more

The much-awaited judgment in Hadley v Przybylo has been handed down today. “The point determined was one of potentially real significance to the manner in which catastrophic injury claims are handled – specifically whether a claimant’s solicitor can recover the costs of attending meetings connected with the claimant’s rehabilitation, whether with the case manager or financial deputy,” explained Chris Barnes KC from Exchange Chambers who acted for the claimant. At first instance, Master McCloud had determined the point of principle against the claimant, finding that such cos ..read more