
What’s in a title? Writing in this week’s NLJ, John Gould, chair of Russell-Cooke, addresses a question raised by former Bar chair Nick Vineall KC: should the title ‘barrister’ be restricted to those who have completed pupillage?
Gould makes the case against, highlighting the struggle many barristers face in obtaining pupillage given the dire shortage as well as the effort and skills involved in acquiring the title of barrister.
He highlights other reasons for keeping the status quo, writing: ‘Looking at a whole system of regulation which is complex and difficult to understand, the possible confusion between barristers who can practise and those who cannot seems relatively minor.’