Reports of harassment, bullying and discrimination at the Bar have increased, figures released this week reveal.
According to the Bar Council’s Barristers’ Working Lives 2017: Harassment and bullying report, 21% (18% more than in 2013) of employed and 12% (7%) of self-employed barristers have personally experienced harassment or bullying at work in the past two years. Some 16% (12% in 2013) of employed and 13% (8%) of self-employed barristers have experienced discrimination.
Some 30% (21%) of employed and 17% (9%) of self-employed barristers have observed bullying or harassment, and 20% (15%) of employed and 15% (8%) of self-employed barristers have observed discrimination in the workplace.
Barristers in criminal practice were more likely to face harassment or bullying than those in chancery and commercial practice. The ill-treatment was dished out by fellow barristers in one out of two incidents, and respondents cited gender as the most common basis for it.
Chair of the Bar, Andrew Walker QC, said: ‘The results are a cause for concern and cannot be ignored.’
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