Amendments to the Best Practice Guidelines

21/08/2015

Standards

The Bar Association's Best Practice Guidelines (BPGs) were approved by Bar Council in June 2014. They are designed to encourage chambers to maintain professional standards and to comply with state and Commonwealth laws on equality and diversity. In August 2015 the four BPGs were amended to bring them into line with recent legislative changes, including in respect of the introduction of the Legal Profession Uniform Law 2015.

In summary, the amended BPGs:

• remove references to the repealed Legal Profession Act 2004, Legal Profession Regulation 2005 and New South Wales Barristers' Rules;
• insert relevant references to the Legal Profession Uniform Law 2015 and Legal Profession Uniform Conduct (Barristers') Rules 2015;
• enhance and streamline the grievance handling steps under Part C of the Grievance Handling BPG; and
• increase consistency between the four BPGs.

The Bar Association encourages adoption of the four BPGs by Floors of the private Bar. The Bar Association has provided the updated BPGs to the Clerks of all floors who have adopted the guidelines and asked that they be circulated to all floor members.

There is no need to readopt the amended BPGs if your Floor has previously adopted the BPGs.

Please do not hesitate to contact Megan Black at the Bar Association if you would like to discuss any aspect of the amendments.