The Bar Standards Board today welcomed the publication of the Bar Council’s Pupillage Gateway report which shows how the pandemic has had an impact on the number of pupillages being advertised.
Commenting on the Bar Council’s report, the BSB’s Director General, Mark Neale said “This is an important report which will be read with interest by everyone who has an interest in the future of the Bar. As the report says, in February of this year the BSB reported that the number of pupillages registered for 2019-20 had fallen by 35% since the year before. Taking into account later registrations we are pleased to say that our latest figures now suggest that the decrease was closer to 21%. This remains a significant fall. We are pleased to see some signs of recovery but the report shows that the pandemic is continuing to have an impact on the market for pupillages and that it has hit the publicly funded Bar, and especially the criminal Bar, hardest. We note that the report also suggests, as we have found, that White candidates disproportionately secured pupillage compared to candidates from ethnic minority groups. These remain causes for concern and the BSB will continue to monitor the market for pupillages closely.”
ENDS
Notes to editors
About the Bar Council’s Pupillage Gateway report
The Bar Council manages the Pupillage Gateway though which pupillages are advertised and the registration of pupillages is the responsibility of the Bar Standards Board. The Bar Council’s report can be found here: https://www.barcouncil.org.uk/resource/pupillage-gateway-report-2021.html
About the Bar Standards Board
Our mission is to regulate barristers and specialised legal services businesses in England and Wales in the public interest. For more information about what we do visit: http://bit.ly/1gwui8t.
Contact: For all media enquiries call: 0207 611 4691 or email [email protected].
