BARRISTERS

BookCounsel. Com

A free on-line booking service for barristers – www.bookcounsel.com – has received 60,000 enquiries since its launch in May. Every chambers in England and Wales and over 9,500 firms of solicitors are logged onto its database. Solicitors can book barristers and solicitor agents through the scheme by completing a straightforward on-line booking form which is then forwarded to local chambers. The Bar Council, whilst confirming that the scheme does not breach conduct rules, has directed that fees must be agreed with, and instructions taken from, solicitors or other authorised organisations and that barristers are forbidden from paying a fee for these cases and must remain able to refuse cases. Barristers are required to accept cases only within their professional indemnity insurance limits.