Numbers of female and black and minority ethnic (BAME) practising barristers increased last year, but not by very much, according to the annual Bar Standards Board (BSB) report on diversity.
The percentage of women rose by 0.4% to 37.4% of the practising Bar, while BAME barristers increased from 0.3% to 13%. The percentage of QCs who are female rose 1% to 15.8%, while BAME QCs swelled their ranks by 0.6% to 7.8% of the total.
Further down the line, these proportions could change—the gender and ethnic diversity of pupil barristers is roughly in line with the population of England and Wales, with 50.4% female and 16.3% BAME.
BSB Director of Strategy and Policy Ewen Macleod said: ‘The more accessible the Bar is, the better it is able to represent the society it serves.’
He urged all barristers to complete the diversity data questions when renewing their practising certificates—the response rate for many characteristics is still below 50%.
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