BSB diversity report reveals women and BME barristers still under-represented at the Bar
updated on 03 February 2016
Women and black and ethnic minority (BME) barristers are still badly under-represented in the barristers profession, the Bar Standards Board’s (BSB) annual diversity report for 2015 has revealed.
The report reveals that women practising barristers are far outnumbered by men, despite the fact that the number of women and men at pupillage level is almost even. Women are leaving the profession at a disproportionate rate compared to men, while there is also evidence that women are not experiencing as much career progression as men at the Bar.
Career progression opportunities are also an issue for BME barristers, with white barristers progressing more quickly and in greater numbers to prestigious QC appointments.
The BSB has launched a survey project in order to better understand how women are being let down. It will use the survey to review its current equality rules and determine whether more regulation is needed to ensure equal career opportunities for women at the Bar.
