Research project
The Bar Diversity Hub
- Start date: 1 April 2025
- End date: 31 March 2026
- Funding: ESRC Creating Opportunities through Local Innovation Fellowship and ESRC IAA Knowledge Exchange Fellowship
- Value: £13,356.75
- Primary investigator: Mr Alex Batesmith
- External co-investigators: Mr Batesmith liaised with the Northeastern Circuit officials, regional NE barristers’ chambers, the Bar Council, regional schools and universities and the Inns of Court. University of Leeds undergraduate students involved were: Hazel Maris and Roxana Tuinea-Bobe.
The Bar Diversity Hub builds on Mr Batesmith’s 2024 Michael Beverley Innovation Fellowship researching equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) within the Northeastern Circuit (NEC), focusing on barristers and aspiring barristers. Recognising the need for sustainable EDI strategies, key stakeholders – including students, barristers, judges, regulators, universities, and third-sector organisations – have come together to formalise the initiative as the Bar Diversity Hub, a platform for ongoing collaboration and impact. The Bar Diversity Hub will serve as a regional EDI network, uniting barristers, judges, regulators, universities, and third sector organisations to broaden access to the Bar, enhance career progression, and build on systemic change within the profession. Core activities will include an EDI Working Group, an online resource platform, a mentorship programme, outreach efforts, EDI awareness events within barristers’ chambers, and public engagement through conferences and publications.
Impact
By embedding EDI efforts within the NEC’s existing framework, the hub aims to build a lasting model for diversity and inclusion. Its expected impact includes greater representation in the legal profession, enhanced inclusivity within chambers, and improved understanding and public confidence in the legal system. Through collaboration and strategic engagement, it will ensure long-term improvements in diversity and inclusion.
Publications and outputs
Conference presentation: Socio-Legal Studies Association conference 2026 ‘The Case for the Defence: Culture Change, Diversity and Inclusion at the Bar of England and Wales’.