Following the launch of the BookCounsel.com online instruction service for barristers in England & Wales in April, the Bar Council’s Professional Standards Committee has published guidance for members on the use of internet instruction schemes, including the Bar’s pilot project BarDIRECT.
According to the guidelines – which the Bar Council stresses should not be seen as an endorsement of the BookCounsel.com scheme – barristers will not be in breach of the Code of Conduct providing the instructions come from a solicitor, BarDIRECT or other professional client.
The agreement about fees should be made with the professional who is responsible for the payment of counsel’s fees and for the care and conduct of the case.
