Female barristers rebel against crackdown on ‘unfashionable views’ amid trans tensions

[IwantToRetire]

Female barristers are rebelling against what they believe is a crackdown on lawyers with “unfashionable views” amid growing tensions over transgender issues.

The Legal Feminist, a forum to discuss feminist issues in the legal system, is preparing to fight back against proposals from the industry regulator which could see barristers punished if they fail to act in a way which “advances equality, diversity, and inclusion”.

Barrister Naomi Cunningham, who specialises in discrimination, said she fears the vagueness of a new proposal from the Bar Standards Board (BSB) paves the way for “arbitrary enforcement” meaning barristers with “unpopular or unfashionable views” get excluded.

The BSB, which regulates the profession, is consulting on the plans which if enforced could leave barristers who breach the rules facing penalties such as fines, suspensions or a ban.

Start of a much longer article at https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2024/09/14/female-barristers-rebel-crackdown-views-trans-tensions/

Can only also be read at https://archive.is/WrWWa

(I dont think this is new as an issue, but maybe the consultation process is new - but still worth highlighting that even in groups made up of those paid to uphold the law, social pressure is being put before upholding women's rights.)

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This is clearly really important

Another bump.

We all know that woolly nonsense like this doesn’t serve groups who face actual barriers - literal barriers, in the case of wheelchair users - but absolutely does get used by [overwhelmingly white, middle class] males to bludgeon women into silence/submission. How the hell is the BSB looking at all the evidence & thinking “yes, time we had some of that”?! 🤦‍♀️

social pressure is being put before upholding women's rights.

I would take it even further and say that social pressure is being put on women to actively work for the surrender of their rights and equality.

Just awful isn't it. And anyone who doesn't get it thinks you're the evil one... makes me sick. Well done those female barristers.

Thanks for sharing.

I know from experience that the BSB is shockingly badly run so this is really worrying.

Very important thanks.
I'm assuming that only those in the legal profession can respond to the consultation?

I'm assuming that only those in the legal profession can respond to the consultation?

thanks for asking the question. So have done a quick google which found this! https://www.barstandardsboard.org.uk/resources/bar-standards-board-consults-on-revised-proposals-to-promote-equality-diversity-and-inclusion-at-the-bar.html

The Bar Standards Board (BSB) has launched a public consultation on new rules to promote equality, diversity and inclusion at the Bar. Despite improvements in diversity in recent years, there remain significant challenges for the Bar in promoting access to the profession, in retaining qualified practitioners and in addressing bullying, discrimination and harassment. The regulator is therefore asking for a further step change in the profession’s approach to equality, diversity and inclusion.

Had I realised would have made that the title of this thread!

Great news, thanks.
I hope Naomi Cunningham or Sex Matters puts out some guidelines as to how best to respond. I know next to nothing about legalese as Im sure is the case for many.

Allison Bailey all over again.

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I hope Naomi Cunningham or Sex Matters puts out some guidelines as to how best to respond.

Agreed. It would be helpful to have an outline response that we can adapt with our own examples and thoughts.

Yes and given the other thread about high sucess rates of gc wins it suggests attempts to clamp down which we musnt let happen

@RethinkingLife I've just written to her asking for that.

I suspect you've nailed it.

This is the male supremacist movement becoming frustrated that the law keeps in inconveniently protecting women in ways that are very inconvenient to men, and so is trying to control the lawyers.

This lot really just need to crack on with the mass ordering of the red cloaks and be honest about it.

Does anyone know if other regulators are pursuing similar policies?

Ofsted were Stonewall champions - until they were embarrassed by the Telegraph exposing letters from Stonewall whining that Inspectors weren't talking enough about trans issues to primary children! Presumably they were sharing details of inspections with the Stonewall monitors? They've quietly abandoned Stonewall and I think are hoping that everyone ignores the fact they did their bidding for some years.
The CQC (Quality & Care Commission) responsible for regulating health and social care services are also in hock to Stonewall. No conflict of interest there of course 🙄
Presumably there are countless more?

The CQC (Quality & Care Commission) responsible for regulating health and social care services

That would be the CQC whose reputation for effectiveness is lower than Hades and has people murmuring louder and louder that they should cease to be an inspection body?

Stonewall has the inverse of whatever the King's Touch is. Or possibly Midas, gold for them, slow death for other organisations.

Bagsy first dibs on the popcorn for watching Naomi Cunningham et al vs the BSB. It won't be pretty but there can only be one winner.

The Gender Ideology Political lobby led training groups do seem to have an unfortunate habit of killing the host.

Organisations with power and reputation are highly attractive as vehicles, entries, means of gaining access and control. The process then involves removing and replacing as much of the original purpose and service provision with gender ideology politics as possible. The organisation becomes highly questionable if not actually harmful. If court gets involved then we have seen one such body shrug and says nowt to do with them if you're stupid enough to believe what you paid them to tell you. And then as the reputation is destroyed, the power goes, disgrace and loss of funding follows, the service is lost to those who once benefitted from it, and there's another once useful organisation in the dust giving its last gasps. In my David Attenborough voice.

More or less the story of ERC among many others.

You’d have thought that after all the failures in court of the fox botherer they’d have laid off a bit but this just demonstrates how this plays alongside men’s rights activists. Can’t have female lawyers active in fighting for women’s rights can we? Too many men might be affected. Good luck Naomi , I know some male barristers DO have your back.

There is an update on a case where a female barrister was accused of breaching professional standards when she tweeted about a judge in a case. The comparision was the behaviour of male barristers commenting on judges in other cases.
Now the accusations against her were dismissed.
https://www.theguardian.com/law/2024/dec/12/barrister-cleared-of-misconduct-after-criticising-boys-club-attitude-in-legal-profession

I thought I had read a thread on here about the topic, but I couldn't find it anymore, so I am adding to this thread.

Charlotte Proudman hearing today www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/5227544-charlotte-proudman-hearing-today

Agree it's relevant to this thread as well.

Thank you!
I'm now thinking there were two cases, one is this and the other is about other tweets. I might have mixed something up. But good news in any case.

Taking EDI into the main aim of barristering, does this mean white men with means have to one by one resign until some sort of population level matching equilibrium is achieved. If so, who is going first?