Law: A profession, not a business

The incoming Chairman of the Bar, Chantal-Aimée Doerries QC, gave her inaugural speech this month at Inner Temple, declaring that the Bar remains a profession, and not simply a business.

Doerries will take over from the current Chairman in January, and stated that the aim of the Bar is “not, in contrast to most other businesses, to make money, or to increase profit margins”.  However, she did maintain that “this does not mean that we are not a modern profession, to the contrary, but it does mean that we abide by, and are required to abide by, professional standards.”

She added that “Another example, of how our professional obligations determine how we deliver our services, is the cab rank rule.  As long as a barrister is sufficiently competent to conduct the case, is available and has been offered a proper fee, a barrister is obliged to take the case as a referral. The rule exists to ensure that anyone can access a barrister no matter how unpalatable the case. 

“This strong and ingrained commitment to representing clients irrespective of their beliefs is at the core of why our justice system is admired across the world. In short the rule reflects the profession’s belief that every client, however unpopular, deserves representation and that it is the client who chooses the lawyer, and not the lawyer who chooses his or her clients.”

She also spoke at length about the work she planned to do during her tenure as President in strengthening ties between the members of the Bar and the Council, allowing for more people to be involved within the profession and therefore improving the Council’s relationship with Chambers.

Furthermore, the creation of a Bar Council Pro Bono board will be one of the first policies the new Chairman will bring in, and this organisation will gather information about the Bar’s pro bono activity, as well as reviewing the processes that take place and considering alternative schools of thought where necessary.

She closed the speech with the acknowledgement of the challenges that lie ahead, but her belief in the Bar and the members that make it up, that the highest professional standards would be maintained throughout the profession. 

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