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The ATC is undertaking a range of initiatives and policies on matters that are of lasting importance to the Bar. Members of the Council are assigned to lead on key projects, reporting on progress regularly and ensuring an expert and consistent, evidence-led approach to the development of policy on advocacy training.
Best PracticeThe Council has a particular remit to gather and disseminate examples of best practice in advocacy training and to give this appropriate status, all members of the ATC are tasked with leading on this issue. For example, when visiting the advocacy training courses for Pupils and New Practitioners provided by the Inns and Circuits, Council members have a specific responsibility to note any especially useful innovations. This website includes material on best practice which can be accessed here.
Engagement with the Young Bar(Lead: Fayyaz Afzal OBE)This project ensures that the Council draws on the concerns and experiences of the Young Bar. For example, the Young Barristers’ Magazine recently published an article on the ATC, and ATC member James Burbidge QC chaired a plenary session at the 2008 Young Barristers’ Conference. Initial possible areas of work to help harness the views and concerns of the younger members of the profession are set out in the attached document. Fayyaz Afzal: Liaison With the Young Bar
ATC Library (Lead: Geraldine Andrews)The Council is developing a library of ‘core’ training materials as a central resource for Bar advocacy trainers. The library is held on the members' section of the ATC website.
Trainer Standards and Grading (Lead: Dr Michael Powers QC)The ATC is working with colleagues across the Inns and Circuits to help ensure there is parity of standards in the training and grading of advocacy trainers.
Measuring Outputs This project is working to establish what value each stage of the advocacy training process adds to a barrister’s professional skills, from the vocational training stage right through to New Practitioner training.
Liaison with the Judiciary (Leads: Charles Haddon-Cave QC, Edwin Glasgow CBE QC)The ATC is developing links with the judiciary with a view to establishing a judicial feedback system to allow the Bar to calibrate advocacy training provision, thereby helping to raise standards of advocacy in the courts.
Advanced Advocacy Training Working Party(Lead: Bernard Richmond QC)The Council is helping to develop policy on how best to tailor advocacy training to the needs of barristers of more than three years’ Call. The Advanced Advocacy Training Working Party comprises members from across the Inns and Circuits, who are working to develop thought on this important issue. The working party's terms of reference can be accessed here.
Bar Vocational Stage (Lead: Colin McCaul QC)The Council helps to ensure excellence in advocacy training at the Bar Vocational Stage. It holds twice-yearly assessment events to enable it to make recommendations to the Bar Standards Board as to the accreditation of the Bar Vocational Course (BVC) tutors of advocacy. Two ATC members sat on and contributed to Derek Wood QC's BVC Review Working Group, which published its final report last year. View report. The ATC responded to the report: ATC Response. The ATC is represented on the Bar Standards Board's Bar Professional Training Course Sub Committee and Colin McCaul QC has been appointed a BSB External Moderator for the BVC with responsibility for the teaching of advocacy.
Documents Relating to the BSB/ATC Accreditation of BVC Tutors:
Revised Assessment & Accreditation Procedures
Amendment to BVC Course Specifications
Supplementary Assessment Questions
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