In this section...
EDI Resources & Best Practices
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion and the Bar Council
The Bar Council’s Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) pages bring together the full range of support, resources and initiatives aimed at creating a fair, inclusive and accessible profession. They provide helplines, training, and guidance for barristers and chambers on equality compliance, wellbeing, and fair recruitment, and outline the Bar Council’s work to tackle bullying and harassment, advance race equality, support disabled barristers, promote gender equality, and improve social mobility. The pages also highlight the Equality & Diversity Officers network, EDI research and statistics, and a range of campaigns and programmes - including #IamTheBar and Modernising the Bar - as well as links to specialist networks representing different communities within the profession.
They can be accessed HERE.
Inclusive recruitment
Inclusive recruitment at the Bar means ensuring that entry into the profession is based on talent and potential, not background or connections. Chambers committed to inclusive practice actively review their recruitment processes to remove bias, use structured and transparent assessment criteria, and value a wide range of experiences and pathways into the law. This includes fair advertising of opportunities, contextual assessment of applications, diverse interview panels, and a culture that supports pupils and junior tenants from all backgrounds. By widening access and ensuring equitable treatment at every stage, the Bar can better reflect the society it serves.
Fair recruitment supports pupils and tenants from all backgrounds. By widening access and ensuring equitable treatment at every stage, the Bar can better reflect the society it serves.
For further information, see the Bar Council’s Fair Recruitment Guide
The Bar Council's Race Equality Toolkit
The Bar Council’s Race Equality Toolkit is a practical guide designed to help chambers and organisations take effective, evidence‑based action to address race inequality at the Bar. It sets out clear steps aligned with the Bar Standards Board’s anti‑racist statement, including producing and publishing an anti‑racism statement, undertaking anti‑racist training for all barristers and staff, and carrying out a race‑equality audit to identify barriers and track progress. The toolkit breaks down recommended actions, shares examples of good practice from across the profession, and provides resources to support cultural change, fair recruitment, inclusive working environments, and better monitoring of race‑related data. Its aim is to support chambers in creating demonstrably anti‑racist cultures and meeting their professional obligations on equality, diversity and inclusion. It can be accessed HERE.
The Crown Prosecution Service
The Crown Prosecution Service Diversity and Inclusion Statement for the Bar can be found HERE.
The Crown Prosecution Service’s Briefing Principles set out how the CPS selects the right advocate for the right case, ensuring high‑quality prosecution advocacy while actively promoting equality of opportunity and supporting the progression of advocates from all backgrounds. The principles emphasise fair access to CPS work, transparent allocation of briefs, and a commitment to developing advocates - particularly those from underrepresented groups - so that the pool of prosecutors better reflects the communities they serve. The Principles can be found HERE.
[In development: opinion pieces from barristers and academics]