The UK government has introduced a £1.5 million annual programme to create up to 100 extra training places for aspiring criminal barristers in England and Wales, aiming to ease shortages and open the profession to a wider range of talent.
Announced on Tuesday 1 September, the scheme funds practical training positions that would not otherwise exist. It is designed to help more young people qualify as criminal barristers while tackling recruitment gaps that have contributed to delays in the criminal courts.
Minister for Courts and Legal Services Sarah Sackman KC MP said the government wants opportunities in the legal profession to be available to talented people regardless of background. She added that the programme will help train the next generation of criminal barristers and support faster justice for victims.
The initiative builds on an existing training scheme run by the Council of the Inns of Court. Chambers that receive the funding will be required to take concrete steps to give applicants from different backgrounds a fairer chance of securing the places.
The legal sector contributes more than £42 billion a year to the UK economy and relies on a steady pipeline of skilled professionals. Both the Criminal Bar Association and the Bar Council welcomed the extra places. The Bar Council noted that the additional capacity should help reduce delays in the criminal justice system caused by the shortage of criminal barristers.
The government presented the scheme as part of its broader efforts to improve the criminal justice system and cut the backlog of cases in the Crown Courts.
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