While there are some signs of recovery―hours and fee income are higher than in summer 2020―many barristers are taking on large amounts of debt to stay afloat, the research found. More than three-fifths of self-employed barristers have taken on personal debt or used savings, with 27% of the criminal Bar taking on more than £20,000 debt.
Those from ethnic minority backgrounds were disproportionately affected―nearly half (48%) are currently experiencing financial hardship and 72% said they have at some point during the pandemic.
Alarmingly, some 84% of respondents had safety concerns regarding cleanliness and ventilation in courts, and said safety measures were not consistently enforced.
Nearly one-fifth (18%) said they want to leave the profession.
Chair of the Bar Council, Derek Sweeting QC said: ‘The findings of this survey send a stark message: that many barristers have reached breaking point.
‘The state of the publicly funded Bar is particularly worrying, with barristers forced to take on significant amounts of debt to prop up an underfunded justice system and working to the point of exhaustion to keep afloat. For years, the justice system has been underfunded, but coronavirus has exposed how fragile it is in many areas which directly affect ordinary members of the public.’
