The Barrister Group is committed to an environment where equality, diversity and inclusion are promoted by and amongst everyone who works and engages with us, and to eliminating unlawful discrimination. It shapes how we recruit, how we allocate work, and how we treat clients, members and staff.
We oppose all forms of unlawful discrimination across every protected characteristic, in our services and in our workplace.
Unassigned work is shared through a transparent, non-discriminatory process designed to promote equality of opportunity and income.
Harassment in any form will not be tolerated. Everyone who engages with us is treated with dignity and respect.
We make reasonable adjustments for disabled clients, members, staff and visitors, whether a disability is visible or hidden.
Our aim is for our workforce to be truly representative of all sections of society and our clients, and for everyone who works with us to feel respected and able to give their best. These commitments are set out in our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Policy and carried through every part of how we operate.
Provided to everyone we engage, whether employed, contracted or a member, and whether temporary, part time or full time.
We do not discriminate because of age, disability, gender, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation.
Opportunities for training, development and progression are open to all, with decisions made on merit and individual qualities.
We work to prevent bullying, harassment, victimisation and unlawful discrimination, and we take complaints seriously.
Those who work and engage with us are trained to understand their rights and responsibilities, including fair selection and avoiding unconscious bias.
We review our practices and this policy at least annually to ensure fairness and to keep pace with changes in the law.
Each year we collect anonymised equality and diversity data from our members and publish it in line with the requirements of the Bar Standards Board. The labels below reflect the wording used in our published results. To protect confidentiality, smaller categories are combined or withheld, and no exact figures are shown.
When an instruction does not name a particular barrister, we apply a fair allocation process to unassigned work. It is built to be equitable for all members and pupils, and it applies regardless of the source of the work.
Chambers365, our diary and case management software, short-lists barristers who are available, based on their own diary and account preferences. It then orders the short-list using factors that are not related to any protected characteristic:
The software does not make the final decision. Our clerks do, and all clerks involved are trained in equality, diversity and inclusion. The order produced is followed unless there is a good reason not to, for example efficiency or suitability for a particular case. Where the order is overridden, the reason must be recorded.
Because the factors used are non-discriminatory, this stage of the process actively promotes equality of income. We monitor allocation data against equality and diversity information, pay particular attention to pupils, junior tenants and those returning from parental leave, and report to the board quarterly on any concerns identified and the action taken.
We are committed to a work environment in which all individuals, clients and the public are treated with dignity and respect, and in which everyone can flourish. Harassment in any form will not be tolerated.
Harassment includes any unwanted conduct related to sex, race, disability, gender reassignment, religion or belief, sexual orientation or age, as well as unwanted sexual behaviour. It is unlawful under the Equality Act 2010 and, for barristers, a breach of the Bar Code of Conduct.
No one who raises a concern in good faith should suffer any detriment. Any victimisation of a complainant, witness or anyone else involved in an investigation is treated as a disciplinary matter.
We recognise the role we can play in reducing racial inequality at the Bar and within the wider legal profession, and we are committed to tackling the injustice it causes.
We welcome people of all backgrounds and ethnicities, both as members and as users of our services, and we welcome input on this journey.
We are committed to making reasonable adjustments to remove or reduce disadvantage for disabled people who work with us, engage with us, or receive our legal services. This covers staff, barristers, clerks, pupils, clients, prospective clients and visitors, and applies whether a disability is visible or hidden.
We will never assume that a disabled person needs an adjustment. We will always ask. Requests are considered on a case by case basis, and where we cannot make the exact adjustment requested we will discuss viable alternatives.
We never pass the cost of a reasonable adjustment on to a disabled person, and we support and signpost staff and members to the Access to Work scheme where appropriate.
We carry out accessibility self-audits of our offices and publish the details. To request an adjustment for a visit, please contact our Professional Standards team in advance.
We recognise the benefits of a diverse workforce and take active steps to recruit from the widest pool of qualified candidates, on the basis of individual qualities and personal merit.
All recruitment and selection processes use objective and fair criteria, and panel members are trained in fair recruitment and avoiding unconscious bias.
Where appropriate, we take lawful positive action to attract applications from groups that are under-represented in the profession.
We publish the outline of our mark scheme and use contextual recruitment, so candidates can demonstrate their skills and experience in less traditional ways.
We compile and review data on applicants to identify any apparent disparities, in support of our regulatory objectives.
Overall responsibility for our approach to equality, diversity and inclusion rests with the board, which fully supports it. Because we are a collaborative collection of individuals and businesses, we encourage open and transparent discussion and development of all of our policies.
Designated Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Officers oversee day to day matters, supported by the Senior Clerk and the Head of Chambers.
Where no specific barrister is requested, unassigned work is allocated through a two-stage process. Chambers365 short-lists available barristers by their own diary and account preferences, then orders them by non-discriminatory factors such as earnings, quantity of work, sources of work and geographical location. Clerks, trained in equality, diversity and inclusion, make the final decision and must record a reason if they depart from the order. Allocation data is monitored against equality data, reviewed at least annually, and reported to the board quarterly.
Harassment in any form will not be tolerated. Concerns can be raised informally with our Equality and Diversity Officer or the Head of Chambers, or formally through the grievance procedure. No one who raises a concern in good faith should suffer any detriment, and victimisation of a complainant or witness is treated as a disciplinary matter. You can also email professionalstandards@thebarristergroup.co.uk.
Yes. We make reasonable adjustments to remove or reduce disadvantage for disabled clients, members, staff and visitors, whether a disability is visible or hidden. Adjustments can include information in alternative formats, auxiliary aids, accessible facilities, and a reader or interpreter. Requests are considered case by case, we will always ask rather than assume, and we never pass the cost on to a disabled person.
Our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Policy, Fair Allocation of Work Policy, Harassment Policy, Anti-racism Statement, Reasonable Adjustments Policy and Office Accessibility Policy are all published below and provided to everyone who works and engages with us.
Our published policies set out the detail behind every commitment on this page.
Our Professional Standards team is the point of contact for any matter relating to equality, diversity and inclusion, including requests for reasonable adjustments and concerns about fairness or conduct.
The Barrister Group operates across England and Wales. All barristers are regulated by the Bar Standards Board. These policies are published on our website and provided to everyone who works and engages with us. See the Barristers' Register.
