*/
Thousands of knives are confiscated every year, the head of the court service revealed, defending court security checks that barristers have branded intrusive.
Susan Acland-Hood, the Chief Executive of Her Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) told delegates at the Bar Council’s annual conference in London that 8,000 knives had been confiscated in 2017 and that 5,000 had already been removed this year, though she accepted that they had not been removed from barristers.
She spoke the day after confirming via social media site Twitter that a security guard working at court in Bromley had been suspended by his employer after asking a female barrister to ‘spread your legs’ during a security check, after she refused to empty her bag.
The incident happened on the day that HMCTS announced that the trial of an ID scheme to enable lawyers to get into courts without undergoing security checks would be extended to five more court centres.
Since August, courts in Brighton, Maidstone, Southwark, Tameside and Wood Green have piloted the use of the app developed at the cost of £50,000 by the Bar Council, which allows barristers to enter using a digital ID card on their phone.
The scheme has been extended to courts in Chester, Nottingham, Portsmouth, St Albans and Swansea.
Thousands of knives are confiscated every year, the head of the court service revealed, defending court security checks that barristers have branded intrusive.
Susan Acland-Hood, the Chief Executive of Her Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) told delegates at the Bar Council’s annual conference in London that 8,000 knives had been confiscated in 2017 and that 5,000 had already been removed this year, though she accepted that they had not been removed from barristers.
She spoke the day after confirming via social media site Twitter that a security guard working at court in Bromley had been suspended by his employer after asking a female barrister to ‘spread your legs’ during a security check, after she refused to empty her bag.
The incident happened on the day that HMCTS announced that the trial of an ID scheme to enable lawyers to get into courts without undergoing security checks would be extended to five more court centres.
Since August, courts in Brighton, Maidstone, Southwark, Tameside and Wood Green have piloted the use of the app developed at the cost of £50,000 by the Bar Council, which allows barristers to enter using a digital ID card on their phone.
The scheme has been extended to courts in Chester, Nottingham, Portsmouth, St Albans and Swansea.
Efforts continue on gender equality, support for the Bar, meaningful reform for the sector and advocating for the rule of law
To mark International Women’s Day, Louise Crush of Westgate Wealth Management looks at how financial planning can help bridge the gap
Casey Randall of AlphaBiolabs answers some of the most common questions regarding relationship DNA testing for court
Leading drug, alcohol and DNA testing laboratory AlphaBiolabs has made a £500 donation to Beatson Cancer Charity in Glasgow as part of its Giving Back campaign
Girls Human Rights Festival 2025: a global gathering for change
Exclusive Q&A with Henry Dannell
Marking Neurodiversity Week 2025, an anonymous barrister shares the revelations and emotions from a mid-career diagnosis with a view to encouraging others to find out more
Patrick Green KC talks about the landmark Post Office Group litigation and his driving principles for life and practice. Interview by Anthony Inglese CB
Desiree Artesi meets Malcolm Bishop KC, the Lord Chief Justice of Tonga, who talks about his new role in the South Pacific and reflects on his career
Sir Nicholas Mostyn, former High Court judge, on starting a hit podcast with fellow ‘Parkies’ after the shock of his diagnosis
Once you submit your silk application, what happens next? Sir Paul Morgan explains each stage of the process and reflects on his experience as a member of the KC Selection Panel
