There is no shortage of talented female barristers, so the fact that only 15.8% of QCs are female is a cause for concern, particularly if this low representation could be due to female barristers not being instructed on the types of cases required to further their careers and to seek promotion to silk.
Inequitable briefing is seen as one of the most pressing practice issues for the Bar. Recently, the national Employment Lawyers Association (ELA) launched a membership-wide equitable briefing project, as it looks to play its part in raising awareness of the need for equitable briefing of barristers – that is, affording equal opportunities for male and female employment barristers to be put forward for, and instructed in employment litigation cases. Through its Counsel Instructions Monitoring Scheme, ELA hopes to raise awareness of the barriers to career progression which female employment barristers face, in order to help both sides of the profession to work towards a solution.
