Newly qualified practising barristers are required to complete a minimum of 42 hours of accredited Continuing Professional Development (CPD). This must be completed within the first three years of practice. This 3 year period commences upon commencement of practice as a barrister.

On entering practice, you are required by the Code of Conduct (para. 202) to provide the Records Office with details of the current address (es) and telephone number(s) of the Chambers or office from which you are supplying legal services. This information will be passed to the Education and Training Department od the Bar Standards Board (BSB), which will register you as a new practitioner.

Records of CPD hours completed
The BSB will maintain a record of your attendance at Advocacy Training and Ethics courses and you are required to keep your own record of attendance at other accredited courses. You are required to send a copy of this record to the BSB by 31st January of the year following the date that you commence practice as a barrister.

Once you have completed the 45 hours, you will be sent a letter by the BSB to confirm that you have satisfied the CPD requirements for the New Practitioners' Programme (NPP). You will be sent periodically letters from the BSB Education & Training Department informing you of the number of hours that you still have to complete, and the date they must be completed by.

All new practitioners will receive a letter around 9 months before the completion date of the NPP, informing them of their outstanding requirements and advising on how to fulfil them. Failure to complete obligations If you fail to complete your NPP obligations by your due date, you will be reported to the Bar Standards Board, as you will be in breach of the Code of Conduct: para. 202 and Annex C.

Course requirements
The 45 CPD hours must include at least 9 hours advocacy training, and at least 3 hours must be ethics training. The balance of the 33 CPD hours may be met through attendance at any courses accredited by the BSB for CPD purposes.

Extensions of time
The BSB has the power, in relation to any individual barrister, to waive any or all of the CPD requirements in whole or in part or to extend the time within which they must be completed. Applications for a waiver must be made in writing, setting out all mitigating circumstances relied upon and supported by all relevant documentary evidence. Applications should be made at least three months before the practising certificate fee falls due.

The BSB has discretion to extend the time limit for completion of NPP in cases where there is sufficient justification. An application form for the exercise of this discretion is available from BSB website. There is a £125 fee for making such an application. This application should be submitted as soon as it is apparent that you will need an extension. This should be made at least 2 months before your due completion date.

An extension of time for the completion of NPP will not usually defer commencement of your obligations under the NPP.

On completion of the New Practitioners' Programme, barristers are required to undertake 12 hours of CPD each year, at least 4 hours of which must be through accredited activities (the "Established Practitioners' Programme").