General Council of the Bar

General Council of the Bar
Name	General Council of the Bar
Formation	1894 (reconstituted 1969)
Type	Professional association
Headquarters	London, United Kingdom
Region served	England and Wales
Membership	Barristers
Leader title	Chair

General Council of the Bar The General Council of the Bar is the professional body representing barristers in England and Wales. As an institution it has engaged with Lord Chancellors, interacted with the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom and responded to reforms arising from the Courts Act 1971, the Legal Services Act 2007 and debates in the House of Lords and House of Commons. Its remit encompasses standards, advocacy, education and relations with bodies such as the Bar Standards Board, the Law Society of England and Wales and international counterparts like the American Bar Association and the European Court of Human Rights.

History

Founded in the late 19th century amid professional consolidation, the council evolved alongside institutions such as the Inns of Court, the Middle Temple, the Inner Temple, Lincoln's Inn and reforms influenced by figures including Lord Halsbury, Lord Birkenhead and Lord Denning. Twentieth‑century milestones linked the council to events like the First World War, the Second World War, postwar legal reconstruction, and legislative changes including the Courts Act 1971 and the Access to Justice Act 1999. Prominent legal personalities who intersected with the council's history include The Earl of Stockton, Viscount Sankey, Lord Hewart and Lord Bingham of Cornhill. The council engaged with international developments associated with the United Nations, the Council of Europe and the European Union as issues of human rights, exemplified by the Human Rights Act 1998, affected advocacy and practice.

Functions and Responsibilities

The council has spoken for barristers on matters involving the Ministry of Justice, the Crown Prosecution Service, the Attorney General for England and Wales, and tribunals such as the Employment Appeal Tribunal and the Administrative Court. It has provided policy positions on legislation including the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 and represented interests in inquiries like those led by Sir William Macpherson and reviews connected to the Independent Commission on Banking. The council liaises with academic institutions such as Oxford University, Cambridge University, King's College London, University College London and professional educators tied to the Bar Professional Training Course and bodies like the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives.

Governance and Membership

Governance structures have mirrored models seen in bodies including the Bar Council of India, the Law Council of Australia, the Canadian Bar Association and the Scottish Bar. Chairs and elected members have included leading silks, benchers and practitioners who also appeared in contexts with the International Bar Association, the Commonwealth Lawyers Association and the International Criminal Court. Membership intersects with chambers such as Brick Court Chambers, Blackstone Chambers, 23 Essex Street and lists of barristers with links to cases before the European Court of Justice, the House of Lords, and high‑profile inquiries involving personalities like Gavin Williamson, Jack Straw and Theresa May.

Regulation and Disciplinary Role

Regulatory functions connect the council with the Bar Standards Board, the Solicitors Regulation Authority, the Legal Ombudsman and judicial processes in the Crown Court, Court of Appeal (England and Wales), and the Privy Council. High‑profile disciplinary matters have involved links to inquiries with judges such as Lord Justice Leveson, Lord Neuberger, and litigants including corporations like Barclays and HSBC when barristers’ conduct arose in regulatory investigations or major trials such as those related to the Financial Services Authority and criminal proceedings under statutes like the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002.

Relationship with Government and Legal Institutions

The council's advocacy has brought it into contact with ministers including the Lord Chancellor, Justice Secretarys, and officials from the Ministry of Justice and Home Office, as well as agencies such as the CPS and the Serious Fraud Office. It has engaged with judicial leadership including the Lord Chief Justice and institutions such as the Judicial Appointments Commission, the Magistrates' Association and the Legal Aid Agency. Internationally, the council has connections to the European Court of Human Rights, the International Court of Justice, and professional networks like the International Bar Association and the Council of Bars and Law Societies of Europe.

Criticisms and Controversies

The council has faced criticism comparable to debates around the Law Society of England and Wales, controversies involving legal aid policies exemplified by the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012, and scrutiny linked to high‑profile cases such as those examined by public inquiries like the Leveson Inquiry and reports by figures like Sir Alex Allan. Issues have included disputes with the Bar Standards Board over regulation, tensions with the Bar Council of India in comparative commentary, and public disagreements with politicians including Michael Gove, Dominic Raab, and Keir Starmer on topics ranging from court closures to funding and independence of the legal profession.

Category:Legal organisations based in the United Kingdom