Bar watchdog must do more to put house in order lawgazette.co.uk - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from lawgazette.co.uk Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
By Jemma Slingo2021-01-29T11:04:00+00:00
The Bar Standards Board said it is reviewing its sanction guidance amid claims that barristers found to have committed sexual misconduct are treated too leniently.
At a media briefing, the regulator said guidance is currently under review and it is considering the ‘whole range of sanctions’ for professional misconduct, alongside the Bar Tribunal and Adjudication Services (BTAS).
The BSB also said it has developed a project looking at bullying, discrimination and harassment to find out ‘how we can manage these things better at the bar’.
In a statement, BTAS and the BSB said: ‘The Bar Tribunals Adjudication Service and the Bar Standards Board are aware of current concern from the public and the profession at the level of sanctions imposed in cases of sexual misconduct. The sanctions imposed fall within the current sanctions guidance.
A reminder for barristers at Christmas parties
The bar disciplinary tribunal has fined a male barrister for telling a junior female colleague that he wanted to smack her bottom, and then proceeding to do just that.
Dominic Woolard was a criminal barrister at 9KBW when the incident occurred at the Chambers Christmas party in 2018. The tribunal said that during the event, Woolard held a junior female lawyer, referred to as A, by or around the neck.while saying to her I really wanted to smack your arse , or words to that effect . The tribunal said that A did not consent to the touching , which was sexual , and Woolard did not reasonably believe that A consented.
Dominic Woolard, 36, held junior barrister around the neck at party
He whispered to her I really wanted to smack your a e after she bent over sofa
Five minutes later, the father-of-two slapped the unnamed women on backside
Clerk of London chambers intervened when Woolard again pulled her on to him
The experienced criminal barrister claimed he was just being playful at the party
Bar Disciplinary Tribunal ruled he acted in a sexual manner without consent
Some described the punishment metered out as a “light slap on the wrist” after the Bar Disciplinary Tribunal ruled the incident violated the woman’s dignity.