Moira Smyth QC new chair of the Bar of Northern Ireland

The new chair of the Bar of Northern Ireland has called for ‘long-term investment in the system’ to ensure ‘access to justice for all’.

In addition Moira Smyth QC highlighted that ‘working poverty should not be a rite of passage for any young professional, including our young barristers’.

She continued: “We must be alive to the reality that external economic pressures, including the cost-of-living crisis, will make widening access to the profession and retaining our young barristers even more difficult.

“Barristers starting out as self-employed practitioners can earn less than the minimum wage, while stagnate rates for publicly funded legal work coupled with an increase in time and skill required means that barristers are doing more for less.

“Working poverty should not be a rite of passage for any young professional, including our young barristers. The Bar has always strived to ensure that entry into the profession is open to all and that we retain our best and brightest barristers, whatever their background.

“People across NI rely on barristers to uphold the rule of law, protect their rights and enable access to justice. We cannot allow the economic challenges that we face at present to place the long-term viability of the profession or the quality and integrity of the justice system in jeopardy.

“The Bar must work in partnership to ensure access to justice for all. I am committed to further engagement with policy and decision makers to make the case for sustainable, principled, and long-term investment in the system.”

Originally from Belfast, Moira will begin a two year term ahead of the start of the new legal year next week.

Praising her predecessor Bernard Brady QC, Moira, explained: “I am delighted to take on the role as chair of the Bar of NI as we enter a new century of law in NI. I am honoured to join other female leaders across our legal and justice sector including the first Lady Chief Justice Dame Siobhan Keegan. My hope is that the female leaders in law of today will inspire a new generation of women and girls.

“Bernard Brady QC expertly steered us through the early stages of Covid recovery and dedicated himself to promoting the rule of law and widening access to the profession through his championing of the Lord Kerr Bar Scholarship and QUB’s Bright Future Collective.

“The strength of the Bar of NI lies in our commitment to justice as well as our independence. That is not to say, however, that we should be detached or distant from the communities and the people that we serve.

“That’s why I’m committed to promoting diversity at the Bar, ensuring that our profession is representative of society at large. A diverse legal profession is a critical part of developing public trust and confidence in the legal system and furthering access to justice for all.

“The Bar of NI must therefore recommit to widening access initiatives. Additionally, the retention of young barristers is vital, particularly from underrepresented and historically disadvantaged groups, through peer support and the sharing of knowledge in a spirit of collegiality.”