Role of the Bar Standards Board
The BSB was formed to provide an independent regulator on behalf of the Bar Council. This independence was established in new constitutional arrangements which came into effect in 2010.
The Bar Council agreed that its regulatory powers should be delegated to the BSB. The responsibilities of the Board are:
- Education and Training for the Bar, including continuing professional development (CPD);
- Developing and monitoring the rules governing practice as a barrister (particularly the Code of Conduct);
- Quality assurance of the profession;
- The complaints and disciplinary system – the Board brings prosecutions before Tribunals administered by the Council of the Inns of Court (COIC).
The Board is charged with regulating in the public interest, which involves balancing the demands of consumers, the profession and other interested parties in order to achieve the best outcomes in the public interest.