Bar Direct Access Portal

Alistair MacDonald, QC, chairman of the Bar, described the latest online offering as having “revolutionised” the direct access model. He said: “It used to be that the only way you could benefit from the services of a barrister was through a solicitor. Now, in many instances, you can keep costs down by going directly to a barrister.”

The Law Society, which represents the 150,000 solicitors in England and Wales, was brief in its response to the Bar’s attack. A spokesman said simply: “Solicitors provide vital support to clients in contentious matters. While clients can instruct barristers directly and have been able to do for some time, solicitors provide a wider range of services, which is why many clients choose to instruct a solicitor first.”