The Bar Tribunals and Adjudication Service (BTAS) is the body responsible for administering Disciplinary Tribunals, Fitness to Practise and other hearings for barristers. It also organises Inns’ Conduct Committee (ICC) hearings to consider the conduct of individuals who hope to be called to the Bar. BTAS now invites applications for two volunteer roles to provide vital professional leadership to its work:
Chair of the Disciplinary Tribunal Service (DTS) will help ensure the highest standards in Tribunals and other hearings for cases referred to BTAS by the regulator, the Bar Standards Board. Supported by the Registrar, they will have oversight of the decision-making processes of hearing panels, ensuring good practice and identifying development needs, and the devising and delivery of training of panel members. Through their membership of BTAS’ Strategic Advisory Board, they provide advice, support and challenge to the Tribunal Service at the highest level. The Chair of the DTS will ideally have experience as a judicial post-holder.
Vice-Chair (Barrister) of the Inns’ Conduct Committee (ICC) will assist in the determination of whether an Inn of Court should refuse to admit an applicant for admission, or expel or refuse to Call a student to the Bar. As a member of the ICC they will have a key role in developing general policy and process, in addition to serving on the panels which consider whether individuals are fit and proper persons to become practising barristers. The postholder must be a practising barrister of not less than seven years’ standing.
Both posts offer professional guidance to the BTAS Registrar, who (supported by a small administrative team) is responsible for the successful day-to-day delivery of BTAS’ operations.
Further details: These posts are unremunerated but all reasonable expenses will be paid. Role Descriptions for both are available on the COIC website www.coic.org.uk/vacancies. Applications should be received by noon on 19th November 2018 , emailed to info@tbtas.org.uk and made by way of CV with a covering letter setting out suitability for the role.