updated on 05 October 2016
The Bar Standards Board (BSB) has launched its consultation paper on the future training of barristers, and has invited all those with a view on the matter to express their views by 23 December.
The BSB wants to hear from practitioners, academics, students and others about its three different proposals for future barrister training, with the aim of revealing which of the three models has been chosen in Spring 2017. The three proposed models are:
The BSB has said that it currently favours option B, the ‘managed pathways model’, although no final decision has yet been taken. The regulator is also holding meetings at different universities to enable students and other interested parties to learn more about the proposals. Students are encouraged to express their opinions on the different models and even propose alternatives.
Ewen MacLeod, the BSB’s director of regulatory policy, commented: “Whichever option is implemented, it will have far reaching consequences for the future of the Bar. We want to ensure that the next generation of barristers are fully equipped to meet their future clients’ needs through a more flexible training framework.”