Former Women and Equalities Committee Chair becomes first Bar Council Commissioner for Conduct

Dame Maria Miller, a former Chair of the Women and Equalities Committee and Cabinet Minister, has been named the first Bar Council Commissioner for Conduct.

Dame Maria is Chair of UK domestic abuse charity SafeLives and was awarded a damehood in 2022 for her work on equality matters.

Her appointment follows the Independent review of bullying, harassment and sexual harassment at the Bar conducted by Baroness Harriet Harman KC which set out 36 “decisive and radical” recommendations and said reform was needed to tackle the “unsustainable situation” among the profession.

The Harman review was commissioned by the Bar Council after surveys found increasing numbers of barristers were experiencing or witnessing inappropriate and unacceptable behaviour at the Bar. 

One key recommendation that came out of the review was for a Commissioner for Conduct to oversee the reform set out in the review.

According to the Bar Council, the Commissioner’s eight core responsibilities are:

• Leadership: highlight and promote good practice to build awareness of the Bar-wide commitment to tackling bullying, harassment and sexual harassment. Create a centre of expertise for tackling this issue.
• Confidential support: serve as a trusted source of confidential advice and support, including through Talk to Spot, for members of the Bar, Inns, Circuits, chambers and others, to prevent bullying, harassment and sexual harassment.
• Triage and handle bullying, harassment and sexual harassment reports: Manage bullying, harassment and sexual harassment reports concerning barristers subject to an agreed protocol with the Bar Standards Board (BSB).
• Liaise with the judiciary and JCIO to promote and ensure a safe, respectful and professional relationship between members of the Bar and the judiciary through agreed structures and support.
• Best practice policies and training: develop and disseminate policy, procedures, guidance, and training to promote best practice across the board, including to ensure the safeguarding of students, mini-pupils and pupils.
• Reporting pathways: clarify and promote the routes available for complainants and bystanders to report concerns.
• Monitoring and analysis: collect and analyse data to show progress, patterns, emerging risks or opportunities for targeted preventative actions. Agree key performance indicators annually with the Bar Council.
• Promote the implementation of the Harman Review recommendations through active engagement with working groups across the Bar. Establish regular reporting on progress to the Bar.

Dame Maria Miller said: “I am honoured to be the Bar Council’s first Commissioner for Conduct. The UK legal system is recognised the world over for the highest standards of professionalism, with members of the Bar at its heart. By creating this new position, the Bar Council has demonstrated its fulsome commitment to maintaining that leadership position; promoting a safe, respectful and professional culture at the Bar, through its leadership on the eradication of bullying, harassment and sexual harassment.”

Bar Council Chair Kirsty Brimelow KC said: “I’m very much looking forward to working with Dame Maria who brings her extensive experience into this role.

“She will provide authoritative guidance and be a trusted point of contact for all those working in and around the Bar. There is no place for bullying, harassment and sexual harassment at the Bar and with Dame Maria overseeing this work, I am determined that we can stamp out these behaviours.”

Lottie Winson