Our Strategic Approach into the 2030s

The key steps the BSB is taking in 2025/2026 to shape our five-year strategy and our call for initial feedback.

The BSB plays a key role in protecting the public in England and Wales. We do this by authorising barristers and assessing their suitability to practise, setting the standards by which they operate and acting where appropriate when they fail to meet these standards. We also actively promote an effective barrister market, using our regulatory functions to improve competition, access to affordable services and high-quality justice for consumers.

The BSB is preparing to launch a five-year strategy, a comprehensive plan for the regulation of the barrister profession into the 2030s. The strategy will detail the BSB’s priorities for the years ahead, offering a clear roadmap of how we plan to deliver our functions to support our objectives.

Gathering insights and evidence

To support us, we invite our stakeholders, including consumers, barristers and other groups, to contribute their insights and evidence. This feedback will help us build a strategy that is informed, inclusive and impactful, supporting a profession that delivers for consumers and the public interest. This is an opportunity to inform our emerging thinking. We will consult on a draft strategy later in the year.

Please contribute using the form below. Please contact us by email via policy@barstandardsboard.org.uk or telephone 020 7611 1444 if you wish to respond another way. A more detailed outline of our early thinking can be found on our website.

The deadline for responses is Wednesday 9 April 2025.

Are you responding in an individual capacity or as a representative of your organisation?

I am responding on behalf of an organisation

I am responding as an individual

Are you content for your response to be made public?

Yes

Please give your name or the name of your organisation:

Please provide your contact email address and telephone number:

1. What are your views on our draft statements of vision, purpose and ambition?

2. Can you offer insights and evidence related to the current environment in which the BSB and the barrister profession operate that will help inform our strategic thinking?

3. What do you think of these early emerging priorities for regulating in the public interest? Is there anything that has been missed, or should be prioritised less?

4. Do you have any feedback on our approach to regulation in general or of the barrister profession in Wales?

5. Do you have views on how we might more effectively monitor and report on performance?

6. Is there anything else you would like to add?

If you are replying as an individual, please consider answering these optional questions.

Equality Monitoring Information We seek to monitor individual respondents to help us to understand the extent to which our consultations are being responded to by people from different backgrounds and so that we can understand where we need to do more to target the views of people from particular backgrounds. These questions are entirely optional and will be treated in the strictest confidence and in accordance with our privacy policy. If you are responding to this consultation as an individual, please complete the following questions:

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If you finished school after 1980, were you eligible for Free School Meals at any point during your school years?

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If you went to university (to study a BA, BSc or higher), had either (or both) of your parents or carers attended university by the time you were 18?

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Are you a primary carer for a child or children under 18?

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Do you look after, or give any help or support to family members, friends, neighbours or others because of either: long-term physical or mental ill-health/disability or problems relating to old age? (Do not count anything you do as part of paid employment).

Yes, 1-19 hours a week

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Thank you

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