Barristers’ dinners ‘too elite’

FOR centuries student barristers have been dining at the hallowed Inns of Court alongside some of the most experienced lawyers in the country.

Now, however, the requirement for every student barrister to dine at their chosen Inn of Court may be jettisoned for being too “intimidating, elitist, male and white” for them to cope with.

A consultation paper issued by the Bar Standards Board (BRB) to discuss which of the practices which regulate a student’s pupillage should be dispensed with states: “Some students with less knowledge of the profession, particularly for those from BME and lower socio-economic backgrounds, may be more likely to feel intimidated by the environment as they may perceive the majority of the barristers attending are white, male and educated at elite institutions.”

A BRB spokesman said: “We are reviewing all of our student training requirements… There are some people who believe passionately that dining helps integrate pupils and some who say it’s too stuffy and old-fashioned.”