The number of pupillages for trainee barristers has plunged by nearly a third in just four years, according to Bar Council projections which paint a bleak picture for Bar Vocational Course (BVC) graduates.

According to the latest projections compiled by the Bar Council, the number of pupillages for 2003-04 dropped to a record low of 600, compared with a figure of 853 in 2000-01.