Members of the Criminal Bar Association are due to vote on whether to replace the current fortnightly strikes with uninterrupted ones as of 5 September.  

Barristers are as vulnerable to cyberattacks as solicitors, the Bar Standards Board (BSB) has warned, as the increase in technology used at the Bar and in court presents opportunities for cybercrime.

The body representing barristers has urged the next government to reverse funding cuts which have left the justice system “on its knees”, in a manifesto highlighting hundreds of court closures and the growing number of people having to represent themselves in court despite having no legal training.

Criminal barristers have narrowly voted to end their strike action and accept a new funding deal offered by the government, but senior figures at the Bar have warned that the dispute remains unresolved.

After five months of strikes, criminal barristers in England and Wales voted to end strike action on Monday 10 October, accepting a government pay rise of 15% on legal aid fees.

Crime barristers will take action on their own against unreasonable hours and overnight working if the judiciary fails to heed their concerns, the chair of the Criminal Bar Association has warned.

New measures to improve the quality of advocacy in youth courts have been announced by the Bar Standards Board.

As the Leveson Inquiry rumbles on, it has published details of its costs in the period from July 2011 until January 2012, revealing that over £600,000 of public money has been spent on barristers' fees alone.

More flexible and innovative ways to qualify as a barrister could be enabled by the introduction of a professional statement defining what a newly-qualified barrister should be able to do from "day one", the Bar Standards Board has said.

The mandatory appointment of “work allocation officers” at barristers chambers is being considered by the Bar Standards Board as part of its Women at the Bar programme to improve equality in the profession. 

The government has given ground to striking barristers with an offer of £15 million to address the crisis in the criminal justice system.

As the pupillage deadline approaches, I thought to ask some current pupils and barristers for some QUICK FIRE tips on the application process.

We’ll keep it short and sweet this week and let you know that the below news stories are essential reading for anyone heading off to a law firm assessment centre or interview soon, or for those just looking to top up their commercial awareness over the summer months.