Committee vacancies
Audit Committee vacancy: one vacancy
Do you believe in access to justice? Can you make a contribution to the role and regulation of barristers?
The Bar Council is the representative body for barristers of England and Wales and promotes the Bar’s expertise of high quality advocacy services and access to justice for all. It delegates its regulatory functions to the independent Bar Standards Board (BSB).
The Bar Council and the BSB are seeking an independent member for the joint Audit Committee, to support the Committee in ensuring that the General Council of the Bar has a good framework for corporate governance, internal controls and accountability (including risk analysis and risk management). The Audit Committee is a joint committee shared between the Bar Council and the BSB.
Individuals with knowledge and understanding of external audit, compliance, risk monitoring and management and excellent communication and analytical skills are sought. Legal sector experience is not required and both barristers and lay persons may apply.
Appointments will be for a period of up to three years with the possibility of renewal.
Meetings will typically take place in London at the Bar Council offices in Holborn. Members are encouraged to attend meetings in person, although facilities for remote attendance are also available.
How to apply
Candidates will be asked to provide a covering letter (maximum two pages of A4) outlining how they meet the person specification and eligibility criteria for the role (set out in the application pack), together with a brief CV (maximum two pages of A4) and email to: [email protected]
Candidates with a disability who require reasonable adjustments should contact Isi Onwukwe-Anyadike on [email protected] or call 020 7242 0082. The Bar Council operates the ‘two ticks’ scheme. Candidates with a disability who meet the essential criteria for this role will be guaranteed an interview under this scheme.
Closing date for applications: Tuesday 28 May 2024
Bar Council/Bar Standards Board Vacancy: Vice Chair of the joint Finance Committee
The Bar Council is the representative body for barristers of England and Wales and promotes the Bar’s expertise of high-quality advocacy services and access to justice for all. The Bar Council delegates its regulatory responsibilities to the independent Bar Standards Board. The BSB regulates barristers and specialised legal services businesses in England and Wales in the public interest.
The General Council of the Bar is seeking an independent lay member for the role of Vice Chair for the joint Finance Committee to support the good financial governance of the Bar Council and the Bar Standards Board. The Vice Chair will also be a member of the Pensions and Investment Sub-Committee. Individuals who have the following skills, knowledge and experience should apply:
- Executive or non-executive finance experience at senior level
- Extensive knowledge of pensions, investments and financial accounting
- An appreciation and understanding of the governance role of non-executives (challenge, scrutiny and decision making)
- Ability to analyse complex evidence and reach rational conclusions, incorporating appropriate advice
- Sound experience of the not-for-profit and public sector
- Ability to be objective, independent and impartial
- A good communicator with strong interpersonal skills
- Demonstrate sufficient standing, integrity and judgement to inspire public confidence in the representative and regulatory arrangements
The Vice Chair may be required to deputise for the Chair of the Finance Committee from time to time.
The appointment will be for a period of up to three years with the possibility of renewal.
Meetings will typically take place in London at the Bar Council offices in Holborn. However there is provision for the meetings to also take place remotely.
For more information about the Bar Council, please see our main website www.barcouncil.org.uk.
How to apply
Candidates will be asked to provide a covering letter (maximum two pages of A4) outlining how they meet the person specification and eligibility criteria for the role (set out in the application pack), together with a brief CV (maximum two pages of A4) and email to: [email protected]
Candidates with a disability who require adjustments should contact Isi Onwukwe-Anyadike, Governance and Committees Manager ([email protected]) to discuss further. The General Council of the Bar is committed to equality, diversity and inclusion.
Closing date for applications: 7 June 2024.
Services Appointment Panel: One Vacancy
One vacancy for a chambers professional in a senior role (e.g. Senior Clerk or Practice Manager, Chief Executive, Chambers Director etc), with specialist knowledge of alternative dispute resolution and, in particular, arbitration and mediation.
The Services Appointment Panel (the “Panel”) was introduced to the Bar Council in January 2021 to support the administration of the organisation’s Appointments Service, which replaced the now defunct Arbitration and Mediation Services. The purpose of the Appointments Service is to enable parties to ask the Chair of the Bar to appoint a barrister to act as an arbitrator, mediator, or expert in respect of a dispute between themselves and one or more others.
The Panel meets two times per annum and reports directly to the Bar Council’s Bar Representation Committee. Supported by the Head of Services, its main purposes are to:
- work in rotation to draw up a shortlist of appointees for the Chair of the Bar to select from, having first received an anonymous summary of the relevant dispute from the Services Team.
- assist the Services Team with the creation of annual marketing plans for the promotion of the Participant Databases, which will contain the names and contact details of those barristers who are happy to be appointed, on a pro bono or paid basis, depending on the source of the dispute.
- advise the Services Team on the effectiveness of any third party (including chambers) alternative dispute resolution clauses that seek for an appointment to be made by the Chair of the Bar.
- keep under review the documentation and website content associated with the Bar Council’s Appointment Service.
Following the recent departure of one of the Panel’s members, the Bar Council would be interested to hear from any chambers professionals who have demonstrable experience of assessing instructions for arbitrators, mediators and/or experts, and allocating work accordingly.
How to apply
Applicants should send a copy of their CV accompanied by a short written statement of no more than 200 words setting out their suitability for the role and describing their skills and experience to the Bar Council’s Head of Services, Michelle Moxon, at [email protected].uk.
It is important that the Bar Council should reflect the diversity of the society that the Bar serves, and applications from all sections of the community are encouraged.
The deadline for applications is 10:00 on Wednesday 14 June 2024.