The Bar Council’s 2021 Working Lives Survey, published this week, uncovered the devastating figure, up from 21% in the last survey, in 2017.
In response to the findings, the Bar Council said tackling bullying, harassment and discrimination would continue to be a priority. It has set up an anonymous reporting app Talk to Spot, is working with the senior judiciary to stamp out judicial bullying of barristers and published a Bar Council Guide on judicial bullying in 2019.
Nearly two-thirds (63%) reported the pandemic has had a negative impact on their practice, with criminal barristers faring worst overall (79%). On new ways of working post-pandemic, the majority want to work in a different way―only 23% opposed change. Of those in favour of change, 60% want more remote working and 42% want more flexible working patterns.
The Bar Council is currently drawing up a flexible working guide for the Bar.
Government plans to shrink the backlog through Extended Operating Hours in courts found little favour with barristers― only 9% approved.
Derek Sweeting QC, Chair of the Bar Council, said: ‘Work has already begun in the last year or so to tackle the issue of bullying, harassment and discrimination at the Bar, and we are making the Bar a more accessible profession in terms of its working practices.
‘The Bar Council’s Modernising the Bar programme lies at the heart of this effort.’
The Modernising the Bar programme focuses on women and under-represented groups, aiming to: make distribution of work fairer, including briefing practices, marketing opportunities and monitoring; and improve practice management, including supporting new and returning barristers and supporting progression.
Some 3,479 barristers responded to the survey.
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