Counsel Magazine

A career shaped by advocacy beyond her practice, and the realities of living with an invisible disability – Dr Natasha Shotunde, Black Barristers’ Network Co-Founder and its Chair for seven years, reflects on a decade at the Bar  

Leaving her life as a partner in a law firm to start out as a pupil at the Bar: Oluwapelumi Amanda Adeola shares lessons learnt in transfer 

The white-collar criminal and civil silk Jonathan Fisher KC, Independent Reviewer of Disclosure and Fraud Offences, advocates modernising the disclosure regime and harnessing AI to reduce the court backlog. He tells Anthony Inglese CB about his career path and conclusions of his review 

Aim higher, earlier, deploy social media productively and pay it forward – Sarah Magill’s lessons learnt building a career at the Bar 

There is far more to Martyn Levett than the title of Resident Judge suggests, discovers Steven Ball. As a long-serving Honorary Recorder of Ipswich – a role that embodies the connection between civic life and the legal world – Judge Levett reflects on his community, charity work and criminal justice today 

Responding to criticism on the narrow profile of government-instructed counsel, Mel Nebhrajani CB describes the system-wide change at GLD to drive fairer distribution of work and broader development of talent 

Get beyond the buzzwords to drive innovation in your legal practice: a practical primer for barristers by Raquel Vazquez 

The odds of success are as unforgiving as ever, but ambition clearly isn’t in short supply. David Wurtzel’s annual deep‑dive into the competition cohort shows who’s entering, who’s thriving and the trends that will define the next wave 

Where to start and where to find help? Monisha Shah, Chair of the King’s Counsel Selection Panel, provides an overview of the silk selection process, debunking some myths along the way 

Sisterhood is vital in a profession as demanding, and often as solitary, as the Bar, says Ruth Reid. So if you are not currently supporting a junior colleague or aspiring lawyer, please consider becoming a mentor today... 

Seeking to redress the balance in the UK media’s misrepresentation of human rights, Philip Leach reports on research putting forward a much more evidence-based analysis 

Professor Susan Edwards reviews efforts to regulate strangulation and suffocation pornography. Will the s 63(7A)(aa) amendment to the Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008 achieve its statutory purpose?  

Do chatbot providers owe a duty of care for negligent misstatements? Jasper Wong suggests that the principles applicable to humans should apply equally to machines 

With gender earnings inequality at the Bar getting worse, not better, Judith Ayling KC discusses concrete solutions and collective action – including steps taken by the Personal Injuries Bar Association

Take the pledge! Galina Ward KC and Andrew Byass explain how Chambers’ Retention of Women Working Party developed a comprehensive programme for change under the Women in Law Pledge. With chambers-wide effort, it has delivered real progress

Review by David Langwallner 

By Andrew Hogan  

Reviewed by Rhys Taylor 

The potholes of justice. By William Byfield* 

New year brings more than resolutions. By William Byfield 

The gentle way. By David Hughes 

There is no typical day in the life as a Supreme Court judicial assistant, says Josephine Gillingwater, and that’s what makes the role so enjoyably diverse  

Amelia Clegg shares the lessons standing her in good stead as 2026 Chair of the Young Barristers’ Committee and the priorities for her term 

Simon Regis CBE, Chair of the Bar Council Employed Barristers’ Committee, sets out his three key priorities for the year ahead 

From drafting the law to running the UK’s top court, former barrister Vicky Fox tells Anthony Inglese CB about her fascinating career path, firefighting post- the prorogation ruling and the court’s diversity ambitions

Brie Stevens-Hoare KC looks at the range of initiatives aiming to increase diversity in judicial appointments. What’s making the difference? What more needs to be done?

It’s been five years since the groundbreaking QC competition in which six Black women barristers, including the 2025 Chair of the Bar, took silk. Yet today, the number of Black KCs remains ‘critically low’. Desirée Artesi talks to Baroness Scotland KC, Allison Munroe KC and Melanie Simpson KC about the critical success factors, barriers and ideas for embedding change

Brie Stevens-Hoare KC looks at the range of initiatives aiming to increase diversity in judicial appointments. What’s making the difference? What more needs to be done?

Senior barristers reflect on the progress made since the publication of Race at the Bar: A Snapshot Report  in 2021, as well as the persistent challenges and cultural shifts still needed. Interviews by Mariam Diaby 

From a traumatic formative education to exceptional criminal silk – Laurie-Anne Power KC talks about her path to the Bar, pursuit of equality and speaking out against discrimination (not just during Black History Month)

Following the Lincoln’s Inn EDI Forum in Leeds, Glenn Parsons considers the tools required to increase diversity at the Bar – now and in the future

With at least 31 reports of AI hallucinations in UK legal cases – over 800 worldwide – and judges using AI to assist in judicial decision-making, the risks and benefits are impossible to ignore. Matthew Lee examines how different jurisdictions are responding 

The judiciary is familiar with addressing bias but GenAI presents new challenges. Sophie Mitchell examines how, why and when gender bias might present itself in judicial use of AI tools and calls for urgent debate 

Legal thinking needs to keep pace with the very disturbing realities that chatbots can create. Matthew Lee looks at emerging litigation in the US around conversational chatbots and their sinister influence on children 

How much longer can AI companies collect and monetise other people’s IP? Phoebe Whitlock investigates

Despite increased awareness, why are AI hallucinations continuing to infiltrate court cases at an alarming rate? Matthew Lee investigates

A career at the Crown Prosecution Service – insight from Siobhan Blake and Ibrahim Ilyas   

The Bar Council crunches the data to tell the real story of who gets pupillage... and when 

Newly minted Bar graduates compete at a ratio of 300:1 for a golden ticket to Wonka’s Criminal Justice Factory. The Secret Barrister explains why…

The Bar Standards Board on what you need to know about training to become a barrister in England and Wales

Laurence Cooper explores the high-stakes world of choosing a Bar training course provider