In her third week as Chair of the Bar Council, Kirsty Brimelow KC met with Baroness Smith of Cluny KC, Advocate General for Scotland and with justice minister Jake Richards MP. @kirstybrimelow.bsky.social

Monday morning, the van from HMP Wormwood Scrubs hasn't arrived so the 11am sentence is delayed Lawyers for a defendant accused of rape can't get into the cells to see him, so the 12pm trial will be delayed And lawyers are complaining about how long it took to get into the building this morning

New Bar Council chair Kirsty Brimelow KC uses her inaugural speech to call for Single Justice Procedure reform "No doubt the SJP offends fundamental principles of fairness...issuing fines to the most vulnerable people in circumstances where they should not be prosecuted."

Welcome Kirsty Brimelow KC, Chair of the Bar 2026. This evening she is making her inaugural address at Gray's Inn, setting out her priorities for 2026. Highlights from her speech and a full recording will be available later this week. @kirstybrimelow.bsky.social

Grays Inn looking very lovely this evening - all ready for @kirstybrimelow.bsky.social Chair of @thebarcouncil.bsky.social inaugural speech #WomenInLaw #BarCouncil #LegalLeadership

Early start @skynewsrss.bsky.social on the Bar Council’s opposition to reducing jury trials (7.45 am). Also spoke on my priority to stamp out bullying, sexual harassment & harassment at the Bar & implementation of the Harman review on Woman’s Hour (10.30 am). Leaving Millbank & into the rain…

Hello, 2026! Wishing all health, happiness and success. I’m hitting the ground running as the new Chair of @thebarcouncil.bsky.social It is a privilege to serve the Bar. I will do my best.

Sending Christmas wishes to all, whether or not you celebrate. For those struggling- without underestimating difficulties- there will be a time when it gets better. And you’re not alone. Wishing all health and happiness and rest and recuperation.

I love meeting new people across the global profession & discussing my law passions. Thank u Berlin Law Assoc.Excellent chat at our table,from universal jurisdiction to protest law to trial by media.At the 23rd Berlin Conference of European Legal Professions.Top speech by Prof Dr Matthias Jahn.

Whilst we’re on a spooky weekend, this was an enjoyable podcast on difficult but important subject. Let me know thoughts. 🎧 www.buzzsprout.com/1577473/epis...

Yay. Priceless. The right column at the right time. And a gleefully English two fingers to the haters.

In The Hague speaking at The European Circuit 2025 Annual Conference, on Europe-wide migration issues, alongside colleagues from the Netherlands, Italy, and France: Nikki Vreede, Marco Bona, and Lisanne Chamberland-Poulin.

The European Circuit Annual Conference 2025 continues into its second day, with discussion on the International Criminal Court and the fight against impunity for atrocity crimes

A hugely stimulating session on migration policy. As usual I leant so much from fellow panelists!

Brilliant panel on migration. Impressive command of material by all - with a particular shout out to fantastic analysis by @berryadrianc.bsky.social #europeancircuit

Commenting on the new “democratic lock” -why it’s unnecessary, wouldn’t have prevented the earlier sentencing guidelines spat(they were approved by LC reps at the meetings) & risks political overreach into the independent judiciary; maybe not now but in the future. www.thetimes.com/article/bf22...

Discussing the ECHR & the Good Friday Agreement @timesradio (from 4.37). Whether or not the U.K. would breach the GFA if it “denounces” (i.e. leaves) the ECHR, the GFA would require reviewing, with huge risk of break down in trust and destabilisation of the GFA. www.thetimes.com/radio/show/2...

Speaking on the international law framework of war crimes and breach of customary international humanitarian law regarding the starvation of people of Gaza. And speaking on evidence collecting from the medics, including the brilliant Dr. Victoria Rose. #Gaza

I spoke on evidence gathering of starvation in Gaza alongside Dr. Victoria Rose. @channel4news.bsky.social www.channel4.com/news/definit...

🎧Have you listened to our latest podcast episode yet? @kirstybrimelow.bsky.social joins @penelopegibbs.bsky.social & @robroballen.bsky.social to explore the single justice procedure and what it means for the vulnerable people who often fall victim of its impersonal nature. 🔗➡️ pod.fo/e/30221c

I finally met @Number10cat He was having a nap but yawned in my direction. Really. #Larrysuperfan

Terribly sad to hear of the passing of Dr. Courtenay Griffiths KC. He was a brilliant, towering figure at the Bar and a personal support to me. A couple of years ago, I had a try at capturing some of his story in a podcast. podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/c...

Thank you,Institute of Barristers’ Clerks! Great speeches by IBC Chair Dave Scothern & BC Chair Barbara Mills KC. Finally made it to the top table (a big thing coming from clerks!)With CPS Ade Olojo, legendary Colin Cook. & outside beautiful Lincoln’s Inn with Chair of BC Employed Bar,Sara George.

This time next week our Bar Council team will be taking on the London Legal Walk. We'll be walking 10km with the legal sector to raise vital funds for the @londonlegal.bsky.social and the free legal advice agencies it supports. Please give what you can to this important cause⬇️ bit.ly/4mVzoyI

Find a summary of the justice highlights from today's review ➡️ www.barcouncil.org.uk/resource/spe...

Our full statement ➡️ www.barcouncil.org.uk/resource/spe...

We welcome the overall settlement for justice in today's Spending Review. Read our full statement via the link in the comments ⬇️

My/Bar Council’s views on the likely proposed intermediate courts. The proposal will further reduce the jury trials. It is a constitutional change without any shared modelling as to how they would reduce the backlog & at what financial cost. www.thetimes.com/uk/law/artic...

Kirsty Brimelow KC (@kirstybrimelow.bsky.social) gave evidence to the London Assembly’s Police and Crime Committee’s examination of the Metropolitan Police’s approach to public order policy. www.doughtystreet.co.uk/news/kirsty-...

Excellent to be back in Birmingham for #barconf2025 Chair Barbara Mills KC making closing remarks. Thank you to the Midland Circuit for hosting the conference.

He was a titan of the Bar. RIP Tim Dutton CBE KC open.substack.com/pub/rozenber...

Great to see @thebarcouncil.bsky.social Vice Chair kirstybrimelow.bsky.social at our stand at the Bar Council conference today.

Speaking at our career progression session this afternoon, Heidi Stonecliffe KC @hskc.bsky.social - the first woman in the CPS to take silk - and chair of our Race Panel Laurie-Anne Power KC both said they love their role because they have been able to “set an example” for what’s possible.

Ruth Stockley KC @kingschambers.bsky.social and Richard Kimblin KC discuss the recommendation in the Banner review to speed up the process by cutting back opportunities to challenge lawfulness. And pose the question: why should planning get to go through quickly?

Richard Kimblin KC opens our Bar Conference 2025 breakout on planning law as “The session where you get to save the world you live in.” The session will look at how planning might affect other areas and feed into public law substantively and procedurally.

Young Bar leader Lachlan Stewart pointed out that the behaviours being discussed today disproportionately affect junior barristers. This was one of the findings that came out of our report published last year: www.barcouncil.org.uk/support-for-...

Baroness Harman KC, who is writing the independent report into bullying and harassment, said you can be on the side of progress or pick reasons not to be. Having spoken to Bar leaders, Harriet said it’s clear that the desire to change is not “performative” - “time’s up” on this behaviour.

At our session on evolving the culture at the Bar we’re discussing bullying and harassment and the upcoming report. @leonkazakos.bsky.social said Bar leaders all have a duty to be reflective of their style and set the tone. He urged everyone: “don’t be a bystander”.

Sir David Spiegelhalter closes Bar Conference 2025 with his lively and engaging whizz through the importance of statistics in the legal sector. He opens with a coin toss! What are the odds?

That’s a wrap for Bar Conference 2025. Chair of the Bar Barbara Mills KC thanks everyone for attending and says we didn’t know at the start of the day the minister would make us feel optimistic and we’d all enjoy a lecture on statistics. Thanks for following along.

Our next breakout session in the Sky Loft is the future of family law – lessons learned and next steps for a more effective system. The panel are set to explore how the system is adapting to ensure better outcomes and how it’s creating a justice process that is trauma-informed and survivor-focused.

The Right Honourable Sir Andrew McFarlane, President of the Family Division, who appeared via video link, said Pathfinder and FDAC courts were ‘life-changing’ for parents and children.

It makes a real difference when we can signpost people to proper support says @commissionerda.bsky.social through the process of Pathfinder courts.

Reduce stigma of the bystander calling out poor behaviour by a barrister to another. Lachlan Stewart Chair Young Bar. #barconf2025

Attorney General Lord Hermer kicks off the Midland Circuit pre-conference mess reflecting on being part of the barrister profession. “A profession which is all about truth and objectivity and evidence under the rule of law.”

Harpreet Sandhu KC, Leader of @midlandcircuit.bsky.social welcomes everyone to Birmingham for Bar Conference 2025. He says “Each of the 6 circuits is a centre of legal excellence. Work of national & international importance takes place on circuit. We are a united profession.”

Chair of the Bar Barbara Mills KC opens Bar Conference with a huge thank you to @midlandcircuit.bsky.social and a tribute to Tim Dutton CBE KC – former Chair of the Bar – who died this week. “His integrity, kindness and humility are among the most profound of the qualities he held.”