Meeting of the Four Bars Comes to Belfast

The Bar of Northern Ireland is delighted to be hosting the latest ‘Four Bars Meeting’ in The Resolution Centre in Belfast today.

The meeting of the Four Bars is an opportunity for the leaders of The Bar of Northern Ireland, The Bar of Ireland, The Bar Council of England and Wales and The Faculty of Advocates to come together to share information, ideas and address common policy issues across the jurisdictions with a particular focus on upholding the rule of law and access to justice. The meetings convene every six months with the location rotating between the member bodies in Belfast, London, Edinburgh, and Dublin.

Specific items on the agenda for discussion today include the impact of Brexit, the value of the independent referral Bar, public funding, developments around serious sexual offence cases and the promotion of wellbeing initiatives across the profession in each jurisdiction.

Chair of The Bar of Northern Ireland, Sarah Ramsey BL, who is hosting the meeting, stated:

“The Four Bars meeting provides a vital forum for sharing knowledge and experiences across our different jurisdictions, including the importance of the independent referral Bar system as one of the cornerstones of access to justice and the legal systems in Northern Ireland, Scotland, England & Wales and the Republic of Ireland. The existence of a strong and independent Bar is fundamental to the efficient and effective administration of justice across these islands, uniquely serving the public interest by upholding the rule of law and providing citizens with access to high quality legal services.

The meeting also enables us to identify areas for further collaboration and engagement, such as sharing steps that can be taken jointly to improve wellbeing and address the levels of harassment within the profession. Each of us will have recently read the extremely valuable new International Bar Association report on bullying and sexual harassment in the legal profession and the associated recommendations for action which we are all united in our determination to address.

It is a privilege to welcome colleagues and friends from across the four jurisdictions to Belfast to discuss some of the most pressing issues affecting the legal sector which will help inform our collective agendas for the remainder of 2019 and beyond”.

The Four Bar’s Meeting begins at 9.30am at The Resolution Centre. For further information contact media@barlibrary.com