Anti-bullying and harassment for barristers' chambers.
The BSB made anti-bullying and harassment a focus area in 2024. Following the release of the Harriet Harman Report on bullying and harassment at the Bar, there are a number of mandatory requirements that chambers need to adhere to - training, policy implementation and constitution review. Overall there is a need for a culture change at the Bar. Chambers that train members now will be ready for the requirement and will have already begun shifting culture.
Bullying and harassment damage individuals and weaken chambers. Proper policies, training, and reporting mechanisms can prevent issues before they escalate. Briefed offers support and provides training built by experienced compliance barristers who have guided chambers through harassment investigations and cultural change.
Why anti-bullying matters to the BSB.
The BSB has identified bullying and harassment as a key compliance focus, a priority reinforced by the Harriet Harman Report released in 2025, which provided clear evidence of the scale and persistence of these issues across the profession. As a first step, the Bar Council has appointed a Commissioner for Conduct, signalling the profession's commitment to driving meaningful change.
The Bar Council's 2023 wellbeing research had already highlighted that bullying and harassment remain significant problems in some chambers, and it is clear that addressing this requires more than policy updates — it demands genuine cultural change across the entire profession. This will not happen overnight, but chambers and their members must be proactive rather than reactive.
All members of chambers, including chambers staff, should complete Bar specific anti-bullying and harassment training. Beyond BSB expectations, chambers also carry a legal and moral obligation to prevent harassment under employment and discrimination law — a complaint can quickly become a legal case, and chambers must be able to demonstrate that prevention was taken seriously.
What this means in practice.
Bullying can be obvious (such as public humiliation or unwanted contact) or subtle (including exclusion, undermining or unequal treatment). Harassment can also be obvious (including verbal abuse and unwanted physical contact) or subtle through inappropriate comments, exclusive behaviour, or creating an environment where an individual feels uncomfortable or unwelcome. Both often go unreported because junior barristers fear career consequences. Chambers need clear policies that define what bullying is, create safe reporting channels, and commit to investigation and action.
Training should help members recognise bullying behaviours, understand impact, and know how to report concerns. Those in management roles need specific training on how to respond when concerns are raised.
Chambers with strong anti-bullying and anti-harassment cultures are more attractive to talented barristers and operate with less attrition. This is not just compliance; it is good governance.
What Briefed offers for anti-bullying and harassment.
Training
Bar-specific training modules on Anti-Bullying and Harassment, Prevention of Sexual Harassment, Handling Complaints, Equality and Diversity and Unconscious Bias.
Advisory and support services
Barrister-led advice on bullying concerns, investigation processes, policy design, and cultural change. Available by phone and email at short notice.
Policy creation and review
Chambers-specific EDI policies, to include anti-bullying and harassment policies covering definition, reporting channels, investigation procedures, and support for those affected.
Training now means being compliance ready when the requirement arrives.
When the BSB makes anti-bullying training mandatory, chambers that have already trained all members will be compliant from day one. Those that have not will face urgent remediation and will appear reactive rather than proactive.
More importantly, trained members and clear policies reduce the likelihood of bullying happening at all. Prevention is better than investigation.