Bar Council

The General Council of the Bar, known as the Bar Council, was founded in 1894 and is the governing body for barristers in England and Wales. Its role is to promote and improve the services and functions of the Bar, and to represent the interests of the Bar on all matters relating to the profession, whether trade union, disciplinary, public interest or in any way affecting the administration of justice.

At the beginning of 2006, the Bar Council separated its regulatory and representational functions. The Bar Standards Board was established which takes responsibility for the Council's regulatory work. The BSB is entirely separate from the Council's representative work. The membership of the BSB is also separate from the Council and it has a lay Chair who is not a barrister.

The Bar Council is made up of about 115 barristers who are elected or who represent the Inns, Circuits and other interest groups. It meets about seven times a year. The Council elects its Chairman, Vice-Chairman and Treasurer.
The Bar Council's representative work and the work of the BSB is carried out through a number of committees. The representative committees are comprised of members who are, on the whole, barristers but the BSB committees include a number of lay representatives.

Further details of the Bar Council's and BSB's work can be obtained from the Bar Council's website.