What is Public Access?
The Public Access Scheme allows members of the public to instruct a barrister direct in appropriate cases. More information is available on the website of the Bar Standards Board and their factsheet is available here: Public Access Guidance for Lay Clients.
What Services do we offer?
To view our Price, Service & Redress Transparency information, which explains how we provide and cost our services for public access clients please click here.
Not all barristers accept these instructions and we do not currently offer this service for any immigration cases or for any family law proceedings relating to children or financial disputes arising out of divorce
The current list of our barristers who do accept public access instructions in suitable cases is available here.
In suitable cases a barrister can
- Appear on your behalf in court
- Give you legal advice
- Draft legal documents for you (eg a Particulars of Claim or Defence)
- Draft a witness statement based on information provided
- Draft a letter for you
What about other types of legal work?
Not all cases are suitable for public access, and not all barristers accept instructions in public access cases. None of our barristers conduct litigation so bear this is in mind if you will need assistance to perform the administrative tasks of litigation (eg gathering evidence, lodging documents at court).
If you want to find a barrister who can conduct litigation the Bar Council has an online directory of all Public Access barristers, called the Direct Access Portal, which you can find here.
If you are eligible for public funding (legal aid) and wish to take advantage of this funding, you should approach a solicitor as barristers cannot do legal aid work unless they have been instructed by a solicitor. If you are unsure if you are eligible and want to understand more, the legal aid eligibility information on the gov.uk website can be accessed here.
If you think you may be able to obtain legal expenses insurance funding (perhaps, depending on the type of legal issue you have, on your car or home insurance policy or through certain employee benefit schemes or union membership) please carefully check the policy and any requirements it has - insurers normally have a panel of solicitors who do their legal work. Useful information on legal insurance can be found here on the Legal Choices website, which is run by the legal regulators and makes information available to assist consumers.
Please note that we do not accept instructions in Public Access cases on any form of conditional, deferred or contingency fee basis. We have fact-sheets available for a selected number of types of cases, listed below, but our barristers can assist you in other types of cases as well. Use their profiles to see their experience.
- Employment
- Inheritance Act
- Licensing of Business Premises
- Motoring Offences (Summary Only)
- Personal Injury
- Winding-up Petitions
If you have any questions, or would like to instruct one of our barristers on a public access basis, please use the contact form below to contact our clerks.
