Chair's Column

Nick Green QC explains why the Bar Council has established five working groups to ensure that the Bar is prepared for future legal aid reforms 

The Bar must fight to prevent further cuts in criminal legal aid fees and aim for rate restoration as soon as possible. Nick Green QC considers how this can be achieved 

The Bar Council is changing its emphasis, writes Nick Green QC. It wishes to communicate with the Bar’s clients – and potential clients – the benefits, such as the cost effectiveness, of using the Bar 

The only person who was more surprised than I when the new Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice was announced was Ken Clarke QC MP himself. Nonetheless, he looked resplendent in his robes when he was sworn in, at 9.30 on 14 May in Court 4 at the Royal Courts of Justice. The entire court was awash with finery since all available judiciary were present in full garb. The formality of the event was nicely counterbalanced by the Lord Chief Justice and the Lord Chancellor exchanging jokes about brown suede shoes. In addition, the Attorney General, Dominic Grieve QC MP, and Solicitor General, Edward Garnier QC MP, were also welcomed by the Lord Chief Justice to their roles. All three of the Ministry top team are barristers, as the Lord Chief recalled during the welcome when he reminded the Lord Chancellor of a divorce case in which they had been adversaries during the 1960s. 

There is a real possibility that new areas of work can now flow directly into the Bar, believes Nick Green QC 

Nick Green QC reflects on the issues that surround the implementation of the Legal Services Act 2007 

The main issues on the Bar Council agenda include several matters of enduring concern: legal aid fees (and the judicial review proceedings brought against the MoJ and LSC), the government’s decision to abolish the LSC and bring it into the MoJ as an executive agency, the implications of the Jackson Review of Costs, referral fees generally, and new business structures. I have continued to travel the country to speak at length to the Bar. So far I have visited about 50 chambers and given speeches to nearly 2,000 people. A very great deal of what I find myself doing is affected by the work being undertaken to implement the Legal Services Act 2007 (“the 2007 Act”). So, a few ongoing reflections. 

Nick Green QC explains why the Bar Council is preparing to commence judicial review proceedings against the government 

Throughout January and early February I visited a number of cities in England and Wales (Cardiff, Winchester, Leeds, York, Birmingham and Manchester) and spoke to nearly 1,000 members of the Bar at the road shows. I have also visited over 30 sets of chambers and had conversations with numerous clerks and practice managers. The process is ongoing and I am planning further visits to chambers over the next few months. I am very grateful for the warm welcome that I have received. The exercise has been extraordinarily informative in enabling me to obtain a more precise and educated view of the day-to-day problems of the Bar. 

The Bar should not fear the development of enforceable standards of advocacy in all areas of practice, writes Nick Green QC 

 I have barely got my feet under the Chairman’s desk on the 7th floor of the Bar Council offices on Holborn when it is time to write my second Chairman’s Column.   

In his inaugural column Nick Green QC considers how the Bar should adapt and evolve 

As I look ahead into 2010 two main themes are likely to characterise the work of the Bar Council. These are the need to reintroduce stability in the publicly funded Bar and the need to address modernisation of the Bar. 

Desmond Browne QC sums up the current position and highlights the issues to be addressed in the near future 

The time is now come for my final Chairman’ s Column . In Chancery Lane people stop to ask me whether there is light at the end of the tunnel. I can only reply that with so little light, there still seems an awful lot of tunnel. 

As the new Legal Year begins, Desmond Browne QC stresses the importance of access to justice for all