Bar Standards Board investigates 17 barristers over inappropriate behaviour towards pupils

The BSB said the complaint was “another instance where a single issue has a significant impact on our workload and enforcement statistics”.

For the year to 31 March 2015 there were no other internal complaints regarding inappropriate behaviour towards pupils. In the preceding year there were three.

In addition, there were nine into barristers who had drink-driving convictions, up from one the previous year.

The top gripe was practising without a practising certificate, which made up 34 per cent of complaints.

In second place was dishonesty/discreditable conduct which accounted for 26 per cent of complaints.

Seven complaints related to the BSB’s system of spot-checking barristers on continuing professional development – up from zero the previous year.

The regulator stated that 50 per cent of the complaints about failure to renew a practising certificate or practising without one “related to new barristers who completed their pupillage and began practising but did not realise that they needed to apply for a new practising certificate”.

It added that it was taking steps to make sure “barristers are well informed of their obligations once they complete pupillage” and would issue administrative warnings to deal with pupillage-related complaints.

The BSB said that under the latest version of its handbook, barristers must inform it when they commit serious misconduct or when they believe other barristers have committed such conduct.

In the first full year of the new regime – 2014/15 – the BSB “received 30 reports from barristers about themselves and a further 35 reports about other barristers”.

Of these, 26 were deemed as medium or high risk and were treated as internal complaints – with issues involved including “discreditable conduct” and criminal convictions.

Disbarment was the most frequently used sanction imposed by Bar disciplinary tribunals in 2014/15, with 13 barristers in total being disbarred.

The Bar Standards Board Annual Report 14/15