Majority of barristers to report bullying or harassment believe gender was a factor in their treatment

Reported instances of bullying and harassment at the Bar have increased in recent years, according to a survey of barristers’ working lives by the Bar Council.

Over 4,000 barristers took part in the survey, in which gender was cited as the most common factor in instances of bullying or harassment – 53% of respondents who had experienced inappropriate treatment believed that their gender was the reason.

The results also reveal that bullying is a much bigger problem at the criminal Bar than in other areas of commercial and chancery practice. Some 18% of criminal barristers reported experiences of harassment or bullying, compared to 8% of barristers in other areas.

An overall 21% of employed barristers and 12% of self-employed barristers said that they had personally experienced harassment or bullying at work within the last two years. As The Law Gazette reports, this represents a 3% increase in reports from employed barristers and a 5% increase for the self-employed Bar compared to the last survey of this kind, taken in 2013.

Andrew Walker QC, chair of the Bar, said: “The results are a cause for concern and cannot be ignored. As a profession, we must do much better. We do not and will not tolerate harassment and bullying at the bar. The Bar Council already offers a confidential helpline, training and other support to individuals and chambers. If any members of the Bar are facing harassment or being bullied, we urge them to use these services.”