The barrister or other person we regulate can appeal the judgement or sentence of a disciplinary tribunal. We can also appeal the decision but only in limited circumstances and only if the Commissioner of the BSB agrees. Appeals must be made within 21 days of the disciplinary tribunal.
Appeals are heard by the High Court, which will make a decision independently of the Bar Standards Board.
If an appeal is made, we will tell witnesses and anybody else who we have been keeping updated and let them know the final outcome.
Appeal hearings normally happen at the Royal Courts of Justice. If you want to attend an appeal hearing, we can give you the Court's number so that you can find the details of the hearing.
Appeal hearings can last a couple of hours or up to a full day, or sometimes longer. They are relatively formal and start with whoever asked for the appeal (usually a barrister) speaking first, followed by the other side (usually the Bar Standards Board).
At the end of an appeal hearing, the Judge usually gives their decision and the reasons for it. In some cases, the Judge will not give a decision until later on, so that detailed reasons can be given. This is known as a reserved decision.
You can find decisions given in previous appeals on this page.
If you have any more questions about appeals, please contact our Investigations and Enforcement Team on 0207 611 1444.
