Why instruct a Barrister?

• Why instruct a Barrister?

Since the mid-sixteenth century, the legal profession in England and Wales has been divided into two branches – barristers on the one hand, and solicitors on the other. Though barristers and solicitors are both lawyers, the training and regulatory structures differ significantly, and from the 1800s, barristers (or members of the Bar) have acted as a referral profession acting on the instructions of solicitors.

For centuries, barristers held a monopoly on the right to appear in higher courts. Though that monopoly no longer exists, the self-employed Bar remains a yardstick for high-quality advocacy and independent legal advice. Barristers are highly-trained courtroom advocates, dealing with the vast majority of serious and high-profile court cases. The Bar is also the legal referral profession, to which solicitors turn for legal advice in particularly complex or serious cases. Members of the public requiring legal advice or representation, including those accused of criminal offences in the Crown Court, have a right to choose who should represent them in court, and they will commonly choose to be represented by a barrister, with all the court room experience and expertise that he or she brings.

9-12 Bell Yard is made up of 11 Queen's Counsel (QCs or 'silks') and 58 junior counsel. A number of members also act as part-time judges, both in the High Court and Crown Courts. All of our members are experienced advocates and many are regarded as leaders in their field. Each year, Chambers also recruits and trains a small number of pupil barristers, many of whom will become the leaders of tomorrow.

Every barrister at 9-12 Bell Yard is self-employed. They each retain their independence, though also act collaboratively in order to ensure that Chambers always provides the highest standards of representation and legal advice. Each is regulated by the Bar Standards Board, an independent regulatory body.