Attorney General and Treasury Solicitor publish statement on talent and opportunity at the Bar
Statement sets out how the Government Legal Department will work with chambers and counsel to build a more diverse pool of talent across the Attorney General's panels.
The Attorney General and Treasury Solicitor have published a Diversity and Inclusion Statement for the Bar, setting out how the Government Legal Department (GLD) will work with chambers and counsel to support diversity, equitable access to work, and career progression across the Attorney General’s Civil and EU Panel of Counsel.
The panels bring together specialist barristers who advise and represent government on some of the country’s most significant legal issues. Access to this work can be an important part of career development and progression at the Bar.
The statement builds on existing good practice and sets out GLD’s expectations of chambers, including fair and inclusive allocation of work and support for the recruitment and progression of counsel from all backgrounds.
Appointments to the panels continue to be made through a rigorous, merit-based competition. The statement does not change the appointments process; it focuses on how GLD and chambers work together once counsel have been appointed, including how fairly work is distributed across the panel.
Attorney General Ellie Reeves KC MP said:
Government should be able to call on the best legal talent this country has to offer, wherever it comes from.
This is more than an ambition, it’s a plan for action. We are committed to removing the barriers that stop talented people reaching their full potential at the Bar, and to making sure the counsel we instruct reflects the people we serve.
Different backgrounds bring different perspectives, and that makes for better legal advice and a stronger profession.
GLD is one of the largest purchasers of legal services in the country and instructs barristers on a wide range of complex and high-profile matters. The way government works with counsel therefore has an important influence on opportunities across the profession, and on the diversity and strength of the legal talent available to support government in the future.
Douglas Wilson KC (Hon) OBE, Treasury Solicitor and Permanent Secretary, said:
I’ve seen first-hand the value that different perspectives and experiences bring to legal work. The strongest teams are the ones that challenge assumptions, approach problems from different angles and aren’t afraid to think differently.
Government has access to an exceptional pool of legal talent through the Attorney General’s panels. Making full use of that expertise helps us deliver stronger legal advice, better decision-making and better outcomes for the people we serve.
The statement sets out that GLD will collect self-declared diversity data from panel applicants, to understand the diversity profile of the panel and monitor whether work and fee payments are distributed fairly. This data will not be visible to those assessing panel applications, and barristers may choose not to provide it.
GLD will review progress against the statement’s commitments regularly, working with chambers and counsel on their implementation.
Bar Council Chair Kirsty Brimelow KC said:
Equitable briefing is one of my priorities as Chair of the Bar this year. The Bar Council has supported GLD’s aspiration to improve panel diversity, as well as ensuring fair access to high-quality work for those on their panels.
I welcome the commitments launched today, aimed at ensuring that the government benefits from the breadth of talent at the Bar, and importantly, builds a pipeline of talent for the future. However, the key is implementation and monitoring progress, and we look forward to seeing change.
Background
- The Attorney General’s Civil and EU Panel of Counsel is made up of specialist, independent barristers appointed through a rigorous, merit-based competition to provide legal advice and advocacy to government on some of the country’s most significant legal issues.
- Appointments to the panel are made through a competitive process run by the Attorney General’s Office and are reviewed periodically.
- The statement applies principally to the Attorney General’s Civil and EU Panel and, where relevant, to GLD’s use of counsel on other panels and King’s Counsel appointed on nomination by the Attorney General. GLD is separately committed to supporting diversity on the Special Advocate panels, which are recruited and appointed through a different process reflecting the distinct nature of that role.