BSB Chair Sir Andrew Burns said: “We are well on our way to becoming the fully modern and efficient regulator that we said we wanted to be at the start of the strategic period in 2013.

“Over the course of the past three years, we have transformed nearly every aspect of the way we regulate the Bar. We have become more outcomes-focussed and risk-based in everything that we do. This helps us prioritise our work while maximising value for money.”

The BSB’s key achievements in 2015-16 were:

• The publication of a Risk Outlook – an important document which provides an overview of the biggest risks in the legal services market and which sets out the BSB’s regulatory priorities;
• Improving our dialogue with the Bar, consumers and other key stakeholders and  holding a number of events throughout the year to seek their views on a wide range of topics, such as the future of Bar training;
• Publishing the new Professional Statement, which describes the skills, knowledge and attributes expected of barristers at the point of authorisation;
• Piloting an improved, more flexible Continuing Professional Development (CPD) regime for barristers in preparation for its roll-out in 2017;
• Undertaking a major piece of research into women’s experiences at the Bar;
• Beginning a review of immigration advice and services;
• Commissioning research into Youth Court advocacy standards and adopting the resulting recommendations; and
• The Legal Services Board (LSB) recommending that we should  begin authorising Alternative Business Structures (ABSs) – a recommendation which the Lord Chancellor has now approved.

During the period of its last strategic plan, the BSB reduced the overall cost of regulation by two per cent.

Read the full BSB Annual Report 2015-16 here.

ENDS