The BSB's new rules on first-tier complaints handling come into effect on 15th June

The BSB has confirmed new rules requiring barristers and chambers to collect and report first-tier complaints data to the regulator. The rules take effect on 15 June 2026. Chambers that have not yet reviewed their complaints handling arrangements have a matter of weeks to do so. 

What the rules require 

Self-employed barristers and those practising in BSB-regulated entities will be required to report all client complaints to the BSB annually. The reporting will be made via a new form in the MyBar portal, with chambers and BSB entities submitting data on behalf of their members. Employed barristers practising outside BSB regulation are excluded from the new requirements. 

The rules also formalise something that has until now been implicit - chambers are expected to actively monitor and engage with complaints made against their tenants, not simply receive and pass them on. That means reviewing complaints for patterns, identifying training needs, and ensuring individual barristers are given feedback on how their complaints were handled. 

What counts as a complaint 

One of the practical questions the rules raise is where the line sits between a formal complaint and an expression of dissatisfaction. The BSB's position is that chambers should have a documented procedure that makes this distinction clear - both to the barrister receiving the feedback and to the person raising it. A procedure that relies on individual judgement rather than a defined threshold will not meet the standard the rules are moving towards. 

The BSB considered requiring chambers to collect data on the protected characteristics of complainants but accepted the Bar Council's argument that this would create practical difficulties and could cause further ill feeling among those already aggrieved. That field will not be required. 

When data submissions begin 

The rules come into force on 15 June, but the BSB has confirmed that first data submissions are not expected before autumn 2026 at the earliest. The gap between the rules taking effect and the first submission window is not a reason to delay. It is the window to build the process that submissions will depend on. 

What chambers should have in place 

The compliance question here is not whether complaints are being handled - most chambers have some version of a process. It is whether that process is documented, consistently applied, and capable of generating the data the BSB will ask for. Chambers should be able to answer, clearly and in writing, how a complaint is defined, who receives it, how it is recorded, how the barrister is informed, and how the outcome is reviewed at chambers level. 

For smaller sets without dedicated compliance resource, the administrative burden is real. The BSB has indicated that the MyBar submission process will be designed to be straightforward, but the underlying data still has to come from somewhere. Chambers that have been managing complaints informally will need to formalise before the first submission window opens. 

The direction of travel here is clear. The BSB is moving towards greater oversight of how the profession handles client feedback, and the expectation on chambers is becoming more formal with each iteration of the rules. Getting the process right now is considerably easier than retrofitting it once the first reporting deadline arrives.