Equality, Diversity and Social Mobility Committee

Executive: Sam Mercer

Co-Chair: Rachel Crasnow KC - Cloisters

Co-Chair: Elaine Banton - 7 Bedford Row 

Vice-Chair: Eleanor Mawrey - Deka Chambers

 

Members:

Barbara Mills KC - 4PB

Jason Pitter KC - New Park Court

Deshpal Panesar KC - Old Square

Sarabjit Singh KC - 1 Crown Office Row

Asad Maqsood- Maxim Chambers

Daniel Sheridan - Hare Court Chambers

Declan O’Dempsey - Cloisters

Gordon Menzies - 6 Pump Court

Jacky Chase –- Essex Court

James Holmes - Garden Court Chambers

James Paterson - Deans Court Chambers

Jemma Tagg - Twenty Essex

Lucy Bone - Littleton Chambers

Mark Henderson - Doughty Street Chambers

Michael Bellis - Capsticks

Natasha Shotunde - Garden Court Chambers

Peter Grieves-Smith - Crown Prosecution Service

Reagan Persaud – Spire Barristers

Serena Sekhon - No 5

Sophie Garner - St Philips

Temitayo Dasaolu - St Paul’s

 

The Terms of Reference of the Committee are to address all matters concerning equality, diversity and inclusion relating to the Bar, including:

a. To ensure the Bar Council as Approved Regulator implements and fully meets its public equality duty and ensure coordination of equality and diversity work with the BSB;

b. To lead the development of Bar Council equality and diversity policy and guidance for the profession;

c. To undertake initiatives to widen access to and strengthen diversity in the profession;

d. To communicate the profession's commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion and to provide focus and a channel for views on equality, diversity and inclusion at the Bar;

e. To provide assistance to Bar Council in highlighting and considering barriers to accessing justice which are connected to protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010;

f. To support the strategic aims of the Bar Council, as published.

 

Equality, Diversity and Social Mobility panels

Disability Panel

Chair:  Mark Henderson


The group aims to promote disability access throughout the profession, the Inns of Court and justice system, to develop guidance for practitioners on reasonable adjustments, legislative and regulatory disability obligations and through the Panel of Disability of Advisors to offer guidance to disabled law students and barristers.


Those seeking access to the Panel should contact [email protected].

Retention Panel

Chair: Dee Masters

The Retention Panel aims to increase the retention of women in practice and to advise on all matters relating to retention issues at the Bar. Key areas of focus include distribution of work/income monitoring by sex and tackling harassment and bullying. The panel also oversees a programme of work exploring options and barriers to more flexible work at the Bar.

Race Panel

Chairs Laurie Anne Power KC and Simon Regis CBE 

The purpose of the Race Panel is:

To establish (i) factors that hinder access, retention and progression of Black barristers and to identify interventions to address barriers faced by Black practitioners; and (ii) the role Bar Council and Bar based organisations may play more widely in challenging systemic disadvantage faced by the Black community. It is intended this remit will extend to other ethnic minority groups as work progresses.

Wellbeing Panel

Chair: Rebecca Dix
Vice Chair: Anneli Howard KC

The purpose of the Wellbeing at the Bar Working Group is to guide the Wellbeing at the Bar programme, including by providing insight into the wellbeing needs of different parts of the Bar (including practice areas) and in disseminating the campaign more widely.

In particular:

  1. To develop wellbeing resources, campaigns, and initiatives for the Bar
  2. To propose improvements to existing wellbeing support/resources for barristers (and chambers staff), and
  3. To disseminate wellbeing information.

 

View current committee vacancies and find out how to apply