Part 4

Question 1

Continuing professional development =

Answer 1

means work undertaken over and above the normal commitments of a barrister is work undertaken with a view to developing the barrister’s skills, knowledge and professional standards in areas relevant to their present area of practice in order to keep the barrister up to date and maintain the highest standards of professional practice.

Question 2

NPP =

Answer 2

New practitioner Programme which requires barristers to complete CPD in their first 3 calendar years of practice.

Question 3

An EPP barrister who holds a practising certificate during a calendar year must

Answer 3

undertake CPD.

Question 4

An EPP barrister who is required to undertake CPD must:

Answer 4

1) Prepare a written CPD plan setting out the barrister’s learning objectives and types of CPD activities they propose to undertake during the calendar year
2) Keep a written record of the CPD activates the barrister has undertaken in the calendar year
3) Keep a record in the CPR Plan for each calendar year of:
a. The barrister’s reflection on the CPD
b. Any variation in the barrister’s planned CPD activities; and
c. The barrister’s assessment of their future learning objectivates
4) Retain aa record of the CPD plan and completed CPD activities for 3 years
5) Submit to the BSB an annual declaration of completion of CPD.

Upon request, a barrister must produce their CPD Plan and record the activities for assessment.

Question 5

Any practising barrister who, as at 1 October 2001, had started but not completed the period of three years referred to in the Continuing Education Scheme Rules at Annex Q to the Sixth Edition of the Code of Conduct must complete a minimum of

Answer 5

42 hours of CPD during their first three years of practice.

Question 6

Any practising NPP barrister who starts practice on or after 1 October 2001 must during the first three calendar years in which the barrister holds a practising certificate after any pupillage year complete a minimum of

Answer 6

45 hours of CPD.

Question 7

For an EPP barrister what are the minimum number of CPD hours?

Answer 7

The CPD Guidance explains that these Rules do not specify a minimum number of CPD hours which an EPP barrister must undertake in a calendar year: it is the responsibility of the individual barrister to determine the CPD activities they will undertake in order meet the requirements of CPD. The Bar Standards Board will assess and monitor barristers’ compliance with CPD.

Question 8

legal services includes

Answer 8

legal advice, representation and drafting or settling any statement of case, witness statement, affidavit or other legal document,

Question 9

Legal services does not include:

Answer 9

1. sitting as a judge or arbitrator or acting as a mediator;
2. lecturing in or teaching law or writing or editing law books articles or reports;
3. examining newspapers, periodicals, books, scripts and other publications for libel, breach of copyright, contempt of court and the like;
4. communicating to or in the press or other media;
5. giving advice on legal matters free to a friend or relative or acting as unpaid or honorary legal adviser to any charitable benevolent or philanthropic institution;
6. in relation to a barrister who is a non-executive director of a company or a trustee or governor of a charitable benevolent or philanthropic institution or a trustee of any private trust, giving to the other directors trustees or governors the benefit of their learning and experience on matters of general legal principle applicable to the affairs of the company institution or trust;
7. early neutral evaluation, expert determination and adjudications