This is an episode for anyone considering a life of crime. The Criminal Bar is one of the most
exciting and rewarding areas of practice but it also faces some of the biggest challenges and
shockingly low rates of pay and poor working conditions. Attrition rates among juniors,
especially women, are worryingly high.
Today we hear from some criminal practitioners who bravely tell it like it is. We hear about
the highs and lows and try to give you the inside view so, if the Criminal Bar appeals to you,
you can make a fully informed decision.
Guests
Monica Stevenson: barrister at 25 Bedford Row
https://www.25bedfordrow.com/site/people/profile/monica.stevenson
The Secret Barrister: author and barrister https://thesecretbarrister.com/. On Twitter
@barristersecret and to buy the bestselling book, The Secret Barrister, Stories of the Law and
How It’s Broken: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Secret-Barrister-Stories-Law-
Broken/dp/1509841105
Karon Monaghan QC: barrister at Matrix Chambers
https://www.matrixlaw.co.uk/member/karon-monaghan/
Sarah Langford: barrister at 3 Paper Buildings https://www.3pb.co.uk/barristers/sarah-
langford/ and author of In Your Defence https://www.amazon.co.uk/Your-Defence-Stories-
Life-
Law/dp/1784163082/ref=sr_1_1?adgrpid=53571611223&gclid=CjwKCAjwtO7qBRBQEiw
Al5WC29FPrjtXYqJvQ3RIqGtSieE7ZKefhrXNjnao9rJpeeXT0f1TXzf6rxoCqxEQAvD_Bw
E&hvadid=267142082856&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=9045999&hvnetw=g&hvpos=1t1&hvqmt=
e&hvrand=2878795830517275464&hvtargid=aud-614677023298%3Akwd-
469909746161&hydadcr=18518_1817325&keywords=sarah+langford+in+your+defence&qi
d=1566334149&s=books&sr=1-1
and on Twitter @wigsandwords
Sir Brian Leveson PC: a former criminal silk who went on to become a High Court Judge
and then Lord Justice of Appeal, President of the Queen’s Bench Division and the Head of
Criminal Justice. He is also well known for being the Chair of the Leveson Inquiry, a
judicial public inquiry into the culture, practices and ethics of the British press.
Useful Links
Anyone thinking of a career at the Criminal Bar should read this blog post from 2013 (we are
told things have since got worse): https://50shadesofaffray.wordpress.com/2013/01/04/life-at-
the-thin-edge-of-the-wedge-the-grim-reality-of-the-independent-junior-criminal-bar/.
One of the Secret Barrister’s blog posts that is particularly worth
reading: https://thesecretbarrister.com/2018/04/26/guest-post-the-secret-bptc-
student-on-legal-aid-cuts-and-the-criminal-bar/
The Western Circuit report ‘Back to the Bar’
https://d17g388r7gqnd8.cloudfront.net/2019/01/WCWF-Back-to-the-Bar.pdf
Chris Henley QC’s article on Women at the Criminal Bar:
https://www.criminalbar.com/resources/news/cba-monday-message-11-02-19/
Glossary
CPS: Crown Prosecution Service
Warned list: a window in which a trial could be listed (often lasting weeks)
A returned case: If a barrister is unable to do a hearing or a piece of advisory work in a case
for which they are instructed (usually because of unexpected diary problems) then they
‘return’ it to the client so that the client can instruct someone else who does have capacity to
do the work. A ‘return’ usually arrives on the new barrister’s desk at the last minute.
