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20 January 2017 / Andrew Langdon KC
Issue: 7730 / Categories: Opinion , Profession
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​Rising to the challenge

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Andrew Langdon QC sets out his aims & aspirations for his tenure as Chairman of the Bar 2017

 

I come to the Chairmanship in 2017 from the perspective of a Circuiteer initially drawn in to the Bar Council by the fight against legal aid cuts, now with my eyes open to other changes to the landscape upon which our still small profession operates. While we will withstand the challenges we face—as we have always done—we nonetheless need to identify and meet them, especially when, as presently they appear to deter the recruitment and viability of the junior Bar.

An ageing profession

I am struck by the fact that as a profession we are ageing. The statistics show that every five years since 1990 the size of the profession overall has increased, but in the last 10 years the number of those in practice under 10 years’ call has slightly decreased, more markedly so for those under five years’ call. One suspects that withdrawal and reduction of legal aid funding, the changes to the

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NEWS
A wave of housing and procedural reforms is set to test the limits of tribunal capacity. In his latest Civil Way column for NLJ this week, Stephen Gold charts sweeping change as the Renters’ Rights Act 2025 begins biting
Plans to reduce jury trials risk missing the real problem in the criminal justice system. Writing in NLJ this week, David Wolchover of Ridgeway Chambers argues the crown court backlog is fuelled not by juries but weak cases slipping through a flawed ‘50%’ prosecution test
Emerging technologies may soon transform how courts determine truth in deeply personal disputes. In this week's NLJ, Madhavi Kabra of 1 Hare Court and Harry Lambert of Outer Temple Chambers explore how neurotechnology could reshape family law
A controversial protest case has reignited debate over the limits of free expression. In NLJ this week, Nicholas Dobson examines a Quran-burning incident testing public order law
The courts have drawn a firm line under attempts to extend arbitration appeals. Writing in NLJ this week, Masood Ahmed of the University of Leicester highlights that if the High Court refuses permission under s 68 of the Arbitration Act 1996, that is the end
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