The legal profession is no stranger to hierarchy, tradition and resilience — qualities that, at their best, provide structure and excellence. But as the 2025 Harriet Harman Review into bullying, harassment and sexual misconduct at the Bar has made unmistakably clear, those same qualities can also enable silence, exclusion and harm when left unexamined.
Over the years, countless junior barristers, pupils and staff have quietly absorbed behaviour that would be unacceptable in any other professional setting. Many have internalised it as part of the job, while others have had careers derailed by it entirely.
The Harman Review lifts the lid on how deep-rooted and widespread these issues remain, especially for those entering the profession or those without traditional power or privilege.
For chambers, the moment for reflection has passed. What’s needed now is action. Not superficial change, but structural shifts that redefine how power is held, used and challenged within the Bar.
1. Prohibiting Relationships Between Pupils and Seniors
One of the most striking recommendations in the report is the need to prohibit sexual relationships between pupils and anyone in chambers who has influence over their careers, whether that’s a barrister, clerk or other employee. While current guidance discourages such relationships, there is no formal rule to prevent them.
2. Rethinking the Complaints Process
Perhaps one of the most powerful findings in the report is that many incidents of harassment and bullying are simply never reported. The reasons are complex and varied. Fear of reputational harm, lack of faith in the process, uncertainty about what constitutes a reportable offence, and a deeply ingrained culture of silence.
To change that, the complaints process itself must be reimagined. It must be accessible, confidential and, above all, trusted. It must include safe, anonymous reporting mechanisms, clear timelines for action, and meaningful support for both complainants and respondents.
3. Effectively Training Your Workforce
Training, too, must evolve. Chambers have long delivered standard anti-harassment workshops, often once a year and rarely tailored to the lived experiences of those at the junior end of the profession. But a one-size-fits-all approach won’t cut it.
The Bar is a unique environment - high pressure, adversarial, and hierarchical. Training must be rooted in that reality. It should explore not just what misconduct looks like, but what it feels like to navigate it when your future chambers membership or judicial reputation is on the line.
The best training will be ongoing, compulsory and led by professionals who understand the emotional and structural realities of the Bar.
4. Model Leadership
Finally, the most transformative change that chambers can make is the hardest to measure: leadership that genuinely models the behaviour it expects from others. Time and again, the report highlights how damaging inaction from senior figures can be.
Silence from the top emboldens perpetrators, deters reporting and erodes trust. Chambers must ensure that their leaders are equipped with the skills and courage to confront unacceptable behaviour wherever it arises, even when that means calling out their peers.
Strong culture doesn’t come from a policy on a website.
At Briefed, we’re developing a full guide to help chambers navigate every recommendation in the review - designed to take you beyond the headlines and into the real-world decisions that will shape the future of your chambers.
Keep an eye out for this in the coming days.
