The legal profession is facing a new challenge as leading barristers defy Bar rules by pledging not to prosecute peaceful climate protesters or represent companies involved in fossil fuel projects.  

Some barristers are earning less than the minimum wage following decades of underfunding and the Treasury has been warned that the justice system is at a “tipping point”.

The vast majority of barristers are opposed to withdrawing the United Kingdom from the European Convention on Human Rights in favour of creating a separate UK bill of rights, a survey commissioned by the Times has found.

Judges, QCs, junior barristers and solicitor advocates have come out in support of an anti-bullying campaign initiated by five barristers.

The Criminal Bar Association has raised the threat of industrial action as the dispute over legal aid funding continues. 

Barristers will stage a full day of strike action on 7 March in protest at the government’s proposed cuts to legal aid.

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.  

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.

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.

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.

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.

An evening drop-in session LawWorks clinic in SW11 – the centre is open Monday to Thursday.

Some 36 BBC employees are working toward CILEx qualifications through an in-house scheme at the corporation.

The BBC has opened applications for its 2023 solicitor graduate apprenticeship scheme which will enable four graduates to work in the BBC’s legal team to qualify as a solicitor through the Solicitors Qualifying Exam route.

Three legal apprentices have just started at the BBC, joining its in-house legal team on a two-year advanced apprenticeship course that will lead to a Level 3 CILEx Certificate in Law and Practice.

The BBC’s legal apprentice programme is running again after a successful launch in 2014 – the corporation is currently seeking three apprentices to join its London offices and one apprentice to join its Salford site.