Accreditation of the Bar - a passing thought.

Marc Beaumont imagines a Bar strangling itself in red tape. But is he day-dreaming ?

Imagine a Bar where you had to do 12 hours CPD every year.  That is not difficult for it is what we have now.  Now imagne a Bar where you had to pay £ 1,200 to the Bar Council by way of a subscription.  Again, not difficult. This day has now come.  But what about a Bar in which you had to get annual accreditation ? You might have to fill out a form for every practice area in which you practise.  You might need to pay a fee for each such area.  And you might need 3 references from Judges, or Silks or other top brass before you could practise. Every year you would have to do this.  Imagine being skilled and experienced in 3 areas, or 6 or 10. Such a vision of the future would be a Bar without the general common law barrister. And do not think that this change would only affect publicly funded Barristers. There are some who want it for all of us.

The BSB argues that we need to improve our standards.  We need to be monitored more rigorously. Before it spends the Bar Council's money and the Bar's resources on this debate, perhaps we could please see some statistics, some empirical evidence that what is likely to be an unholy waste of money and resources is justified.

Comments

[Phillip Taylor]

This would appear to be the logical development of extreme regulatory practice for our profession currently underway. For old people like me it is not particlarly problematic as I am coming to the end of my career, but to others it must be a big worry.

You might like to know that similar concerns have been expressed in a range of different occupations from teaching and accountancy to health visitors yet there is little that can be done to oppose oppressive over-regulation.

We need to strike a balance and if the Bar becomes totally over-regulated, the effect that will have on minorities who wish to join the profession will be a massive deterrent for the future... which is presumably the tactic.

My biggest concern remains that most people will ignore what you say and inertia will rule the day.

Phillip Taylor

[David Tyne]

A really terrifying thought - suppose you were in the middle of the biggest case against the Government of your career, but you couldn't find enough "accreditation" to allow you to continue to practise and finish the case? Welcome to the Stalinist world of (ZA)NU-Labour, run by Commmon Purpose worker-drones, all controlled by a central all-powerful figure. Marc Beaumont is a beacon of light, showing us the awful path that the Bar long ago started itself down. The Tories are coming, but it is too late and have they been infiltrated too?

[Theresa]

I see on your article you have a couple images either hosted from your page or from a offsite provider. I wondered what you found is the top way, having the pics outsourced on a service like image shack or is it best to have the pics completely placed on your own server?