About Us - Direct Access
The following groups of people may instruct barristers either on behalf of clients or on their account:
In any matter for all types of work:
In limited areas of work:
Members of chambers are normally required, under the terms of the Code of Conduct of the Bar of England and Wales (7th edition), to receive instructions through solicitors on a referral basis, but, since a recent amendment to the code, barristers are able to receive direct instructions from foreign law firms, in house lawyers or even lay clients based outside the UK. However, they are limited to providing the following services:
In any matter for all types of work:
- Solicitors;
- Other authorised litigators;
- Parliamentary agents, patent agents, trade mark agents and notaries;
- European lawyers registered with the Law Society;
- Employed barristers and or employed European lawyers registered with the Bar Council;
- Legal Advice Centres, designated by the Bar Council.
In limited areas of work:
- Licensed conveyancers in matters in which they are providing conveyancing services;
- Members of recognised professional bodies in respect of matters falling within their normal professional expertise - such as The Chartered Insurance Institute, Institute of Chartered Accountants. A full list of approved Direct Professional Access (DPA) bodies is available from The Bar Council;
- Clients who have been licensed under the BarDIRECT scheme - for further information about BarDIRECT and DPA, contact Jan Bye at The Bar Council or BarDirect@BarCouncil.org.uk;
- Foreign Lawyers for advice only.
Members of chambers are normally required, under the terms of the Code of Conduct of the Bar of England and Wales (7th edition), to receive instructions through solicitors on a referral basis, but, since a recent amendment to the code, barristers are able to receive direct instructions from foreign law firms, in house lawyers or even lay clients based outside the UK. However, they are limited to providing the following services:
- Specialist advice on all areas of the law in England and Wales, European Community and International Law, including Human Rights;
- Specialist advice and assistance on the drafting, interpretation and enforceability of contracts governed by the law in England and Wales, or the laws of other common law countries;
- Specialist advice on commercial situations presenting legal, factual or technical difficulties;
- Arbitration services;
- Mediation and other alternative dispute resolution services (as mediators, advocates or advisers);
- Expert witness services;
- Specialist advocacy services before certain European and international courts and tribunals;
- Specialist advice and assistance in the preparation of litigation.
- Further advice can be obtained from the Bar Council International Section on 020 7440 4000 and by reference to the International Practice Rules (Annex A of the Code of Conduct).