Bar watchdog issues public apology to silk over Djibouti allegations

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Bar watchdog issues public apology to silk over Djibouti allegations

The Bar Standards Board (BSB) has today (19 September) issued a highly unusual apology to Serle Court’s Khawar Qureshi QC after the senior barrister was subjected to a year-long investigation over unfounded misconduct allegations.

The matter turned on Qureshi’s representation of East African republic Djibouti in a high-profile civil fraud case between the state and the businessman Abdourahman Boreh. In April 2015 another barrister involved in the proceedings made three allegations that the silk had misled High Court judge Justice Flaux.

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Bar Council hikes PC fee as figures show elite barristers raking in £600m-plus a year

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Bar Council hikes PC fee as figures show elite barristers raking in £600m-plus a year

Fortunes at the Bar remain sharply split between haves and have-nots, with new research projecting just over 2,000 barristers now earning less than £30,000 annually, while at the other end of the spectrum, 2,562 are on course to earn over £240,000 during the current financial year.

Continue reading “Bar Council hikes PC fee as figures show elite barristers raking in £600m-plus a year”

‘A self-serving industry’: barristers blast Bar Standards Board over training reform

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‘A self-serving industry’: barristers blast Bar Standards Board over training reform

Over 500 barristers have condemned proposals from the Bar Standards Board (BSB) to reform the regime for barristers-in-training.

High-profile members of the profession, such as former Lord Chief Justice Lord Woolf, are among the 505 signatories of an open letter to the BSB, criticising its suggestions for restructuring the exam process.

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Freshfields, HSF and Skadden heavyweights among 113 new QCs in latest record round

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Freshfields, HSF and Skadden heavyweights among 113 new QCs in latest record round

Senior disputes partners from Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, Herbert Smith Freehills (HSF), King & Spalding and Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom have taken silk in the latest round of QC appointments, where 113 were selected out of a round of 254 candidates. Continue reading “Freshfields, HSF and Skadden heavyweights among 113 new QCs in latest record round”

Matrix Chambers clears Ben Emmerson QC after investigation into sexual assault allegations

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Matrix Chambers has concluded an investigation into top silk Ben Emmerson QC following allegations of sexual assault during his work on the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) and found he did not commit any act of sexual assault or harassment.  Continue reading “Matrix Chambers clears Ben Emmerson QC after investigation into sexual assault allegations”