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The Bar Council
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The Bar Council
@thebarcouncil
The Bar Council represents all barristers in England and Wales.
High Holborn, London
barcouncil.org.uk
Joined June 2010
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  • Pinned
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    The Bar Council
    @thebarcouncil
    Jun 28
    Today we're launching a new expert report calling for the age of criminal responsibility in England and Wales to be increased from 10 to 14. The report draws on the latest developmental neuroscience and considers how children interact with, and understand, the criminal justice
    A photograph of hands holding a report titled ‘Reviewing the minimum age of criminal responsibility’. Across the bottom of the image text reads “Increase the minimum age of criminal responsibility, says Bar Council”
    White text on a pink background with large white quotation marks reads: “Increasing the minimum age of criminal responsibility is essential as it can tackle reoffending and prevent future victims of harm.” Below the text is a portrait photo of Kirsty Brimelow KC, Chair of the Bar Council
    5.3K
  • user avatar
    The Bar Council
    @thebarcouncil
    Sep 3, 2020
    "Activist lawyers" again? Really? Doing your job is now activism, it seems. We are wondering what an "activist Home Secretary" does. #ChangeTheRecord
    user avatar
    Priti Patel MP
    @pritipatel
    Sep 3, 2020
    Today we removed people who came here via small boat. They had previously claimed asylum elsewhere and had no legal right to be in the UK. Removals continue to be frustrated by activist lawyers, but I will not let up until this route is unviable
  • user avatar
    The Bar Council
    @thebarcouncil
    Jun 14, 2022
    "The Bar Council and Law Society of England and Wales together call on the Prime Minister to stop attacks on legal professionals who are simply doing their jobs."
  • user avatar
    The Bar Council
    @thebarcouncil
    Mar 9, 2023
    The Bar Council said the attacks by Sunak and Braverman betrayed “a startling and regrettable ignorance” of the role of lawyers representing clients within the legal framework created by parliament. Reported by the @FT today -
    Sunak attacks ‘lefty lawyers’ amid criticism of small boats strategy
    From ft.com
    582K
  • user avatar
    The Bar Council
    @thebarcouncil
    Jul 25, 2023
    Sam Townend KC, Vice Chair of the Bar Council, said the comments by the Prime Minister "are clearly an attempt to play politics with the legal profession ... and is to be deplored." Read the full quote - barcouncil.org.uk/resource/bar-c… @RishiSunak
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    Rishi Sunak
    @RishiSunak
    Jul 25, 2023
    This is what we’re up against. The Labour Party, a subset of lawyers, criminal gangs - they're all on the same side, propping up a system of exploitation that profits from getting people to the UK illegally. I have a plan to stop it. Here’s how 🧵 dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1…
    656K
  • user avatar
    The Bar Council
    @thebarcouncil
    Dec 22, 2023
    Nick Vineall KC, Moira Smyth KC, & @RoddyQC respond to the @Telegraph front page 'Starmer helped free dangerous prisoners' -"The idea that barristers (or advocates) should somehow be associated with the causes of those whom they represent is misconceived." telegraph.co.uk/opinion/2023/1…
    Text reads: Starmer’s legal career. SIR – You report that Sir Keir Starmer, while at the bar, acted for some convicted prisoners who turned out to be entitled to be released from prison, along with the findings of “a trawl” of his cases.
Barristers are professionally obliged to accept properly remunerated cases within their competence and for which they are available. Our code of conduct expressly prohibits a barrister from declining a case because of the barrister’s opinion of the client. 
We call this the cab-rank rule. This rule promotes access to justice and reflects the fact that the role of a lawyer is to advise and represent their client, not to judge their client. Judging is for judges or juries, not for us.
The idea that barristers (or, in Scotland, advocates) should somehow be associated with the causes of those whom they represent is therefore misconceived.
Nick Vineall KC, Bar of England and Wales
Moira Smyth KC, Bar of Northern Ireland
Roddy Dunlop KC, Faculty of Advocates
    337K
  • user avatar
    The Bar Council
    @thebarcouncil
    Aug 27, 2020
    The justice system should not be attacked for the sake of political point-scoring. We strongly condemn the use of divisive & deceptive language in a @ukhomeoffice video referring to lawyers giving legal advice as 'activist lawyers'. Read our statement:
    barcouncil.org.uk
    Bar Council condemns misleading communication by government
  • user avatar
    The Bar Council
    @thebarcouncil
    Sep 8, 2022
    Replying to @briefforhire
    We have been advised by the Crown Office that the title Queen's Counsel (QC) changes to King's Counsel (KC) with immediate effect. The change is automatic so there are no new Letters Patent.
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    The Bar Council
    @thebarcouncil
    Jan 9, 2024
    Sam Townend KC warns that it is "not appropriate to trawl through a barrister’s case history to pick out unsympathetic clients or causes that they have acted for & to hold them responsible for the outcome of a given case. That is wholly to misunderstand & misrepresent the role".
    90K
  • user avatar
    The Bar Council
    @thebarcouncil
    Dec 4, 2020
    Targeted attacks on individual lawyers who are simply doing their jobs applying the law of the land is completely wrong and dangerous. We & @TheLawSociety have recently been in contact with the Home Office again about our concerns. We will update the profession when we can.
  • user avatar
    The Bar Council
    @thebarcouncil
    Mar 26, 2021
    The Bar Council strongly condemns any threat against members of the Bar simply for doing their job. Sanctioning a chambers or any legal organisation because a member has given a legal opinion in accordance with their professional obligations is an attack on the rule of law.
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    The Bar Council
    @thebarcouncil
    Sep 8, 2022
    A statement from the Chair of the Bar Council on the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
  • user avatar
    The Bar Council
    @thebarcouncil
    Oct 6, 2020
    "Shocking and troubling." Amanda Pinto QC, Chair of the Bar's reaction to the Prime Minister's comments about lawyers in his Conservative Party Conference speech today. Read her full statement: barcouncil.org.uk/resource/prime…
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    The Bar Council
    @thebarcouncil
    Oct 6, 2020
    URGENT MEETING CALLED BY @IBAHRI: The Implications of the Internal Market Bill for the rule of law in the UK. 7 October 1800–1900. All welcome. With Lord Neuberger, Dominic Grieve QC, Joanna Cherry QC, Baroness Helena Kennedy QC. More info & registration
    ibanet.org
    the Implications of the Internal Market Bill for the rule of law in the United Kingdom
    A webinar presented by the International Bar Association, Oct 7, 2020, 1800-1900 BST