The Direct Access Portal is open to all direct/public access practitioners who are Bar Representation Fee subscribers.
If you are a public/direct access barrister, the Direct Access Portal offers you and your clerks/practice managers an easy-to-use interface to manage your profile and enquiries.
On the client-facing side, the process of searching for suitable direct access barristers is easy and the search criteria refines to give your potential clients better results, which will in turne give you a better quality of enquiry.
Becoming a direct access barrister
To become a direct/public access practitioner, and in accordance with rC120 of the Bar Standards Board Handbook, barristers must
- be properly qualified and hold a full practising certificate,
- have satisfactorily undertaken public access training, and
- registered themselves with the Bar Standards Board.
Under rC121, barristers with less than three years’ standing must also have a barrister who is a qualified person within rS22 and has registered with the Bar Standards Board as a public access practitioner readily available to provide them with guidance.
The Direct Access Portal is also open to chambers professionals who would like access to their barristers’ accounts and whom the relevant practitioner would like notified of any new enquiries.
The Bar Council runs training on public access for barristers and clerks and litigations skills for barristers. Find out more about our public access training.
Direct Access Portal for clerks and practice managers
The Direct Access Portal is open to chambers professionals to access their members' accounts to edit profiles and help manage enquiries. Read our user guide on how to manage your members’ enquiries.
Direct Access Portal for potential clients
Watch and share our videos designed to help potential clients understand the Direct Access Portal and how to use it to find a barrister.
We also have more information on Direct Access Portal for the public.
Find out more
If you have a general enquiry about how the Direct Access Portal works, or would like to pay the Bar Representation Fee in order to add your profile to the site, please email the Bar Council Services Team at [email protected] or call us on +44 (0)207 611 1321.