Direct public access

It is possible for members of the public to instruct a barrister directly without having to go through a solicitor.

In the first instance, your barrister, following strict criteria laid down by the Bar Code of Conduct, needs to assess whether your individual case is suitable for public access.

The requirements of the Bar Code of Conduct

Before accepting direct public access work a barrister must consider the following.

  • Whether it is in your interests, and/or in the interests of justice, for you to instruct a solicitor.
  • The nature of the work which you wish him or her to undertake
  • Your ability to understand the requirements of your case and to manage services which would normally be carried out by a solicitor.

If the barrister is not satisfied that your case meets this criteria he or she is obliged to decline instructions on a public access basis. As barristers have a continuing duty to their clients, if your barrister considers, at any stage of your case, that you ought to instruct a solicitor, then he or she must refuse to continue to act for you on a public access basis.

Which cases are suitable for direct public access

The barrister will assess each case on its particular facts so it is impossible to provide a list of cases that are suitable for public access. The more complex the facts of the case, the more likely the need for a solicitor. Similarly, less complex cases, with a large proportion of factual dispute, are also likely to need a solicitor. Cases which are unlikely to involve factual disputes may well be suitable for public access.

For further information on public access criteria please visit visit the Bar Council's website

If you are considering instructing a barrister directly please contact our public access clerk, Stuart Paley, on 020 7643 5000.

Direct professional access

At Hailsham Chambers we receive an increasing number of instructions from professional organisations who have been authorised to instruct our barristers directly.

To be eligible for this direct access these organisations have been approved by the Bar Council`s Bar DIRECT Committee and are listed in the First Schedule to the BarDirect Recognition Regulations.

The list of approved organsiations includes most of the main professional bodies for accountants and taxation advisers, insolvency practitioners, architects, surveyors and town planners, engineers, valuers, actuaries, chartered secretaries and administrators, and insurers.

If you are interested in instructing one of Hailsham Chambers’ barristers directly please contact Stephen Smith on 020 7643 5000.