'Unprecedented strain' on UK justice system highlighted at Tory conference
The Bar Council has been out in force at the Labour conference and is set to attend the Conservative Party conference this week to deliver a clear message to politicians and party activists that justice is a precious asset which needs to be protected.
The Chairman of the Bar, Alistair MacDonald QC, and Chairman-Elect, Chantal-Aimée Doerries QC, are attending the party conferences to highlight the important role of the barristers’ profession in society and to explain why access to justice is so important. The Bar Council’s party conference briefing ‘Justice – a precious asset’, which details the work and value of the Bar, is being distributed to politicians and party delegates during the conference season.
Chairman of the Bar, Alistair MacDonald QC, said:
“The Bar Council has an essential role to represent its members and to lobby policymakers in the public as well as the profession’s interest. The party conferences give us an opportunity to influence what will eventually become party policies. They provides us, as representatives of the barristers’ profession, the chance to explain and draw attention to key issues affecting members of the Bar, to make key contacts with those involved in influencing policy, and provide a platform for the Bar Council to debate issues that matter to the Bar as well as the public, such as access to justice and the rule of law.
“We are taking a very clear message with us to Brighton (Labour) and Manchester (Conservative) – that justice is a precious asset and must be available for all and not the few. Our justice system is under unprecedented strain, which is why it is so important to stress its importance. It is equally essential that the political parties understand the vital role the Bar plays in underpinning our world-renowned justice system.”
The Bar Council is taking part in a number of activities at the conferences, including panel sessions with the Society of Labour Lawyers and the Society of Conservative Lawyers.
