7BR

Diversity at 7BR Chambers

7BR has created and implemented wide-ranging and outstanding diversity and inclusion policies. Our work spans varied activities and initiatives, and is focused on impacts and positive improvements.

Throughout Chambers and beyond, 7BR works to tackle discrimination against a range of characteristics, including race, colour, ethnic or national origin, nationality, citizenship, sex, sexual orientation, age, marital status, disability and religion. This involves implementing policies dealing with harassment, the under-representation of specific groups at the bar, barriers to opportunity and the fair allocation of work, whether concerning staff, clients, members or pupils. As such, 7BR has Equality & Diversity and Wellbeing Committees that review and generate initiatives across the EDI spectrum, enabling us to secure a diverse membership, support team, clientele and wider stakeholder base.

Chamber’s work to promote diversity and inclusion also includes close partnerships with key stakeholder groups, such as:

• Bridging the Bar, the leading support network for aspiring barristers from under-represented backgrounds;
• The Bar Council’s “Race at the Bar” initiative;
• AccessAble, the UK’s most comprehensive source of disabled access information, and;
• The Trafficking Compensation Action Group (TCAG), our partnership with the Anti-Trafficking and Labour Exploitation Unit (ATLEU).

7BR seeks to “communicate the message to any would-be barristers that we are accessible and on a journey to becoming truly inclusive,” (7BR’s CEO Harry Charlton in The Times, 24 February 2022). As such, we also hosted the launch of the BSB’s Disability Taskforce and their Disability Roundtable discussions.

To ensure we remain accessible to all, we installed seemless disabled access throughout our Georgian home. These cutting edge facilities are used regularly, as our strong clinical negligence and personal injury practices mean we welcome many visitors who have long-term injuries and/or have suffered extremely stressful situations.

Our broad work in tackling racism at the Bar is summarised in our Anti-Racism Statement, and is reflected in our membership: 23% of our junior members identify as Black, Asian or as other ethnic minorities, compared to 14% of the Bar as a whole.

Moreover, 39% of 7BR’s juniors are women, as are 24% of 7BR’s KCs, compared with 18% at the Bar as a whole. To retain our talented team, 7BR has developed market leading parental leave initiatives, summarized at pages 7 to 10 in our Equality & Diversity Policy, available here.

In addition, many of our members advocate for an inclusive work environment with Chambers’ support. This includes: discrimination law barrister - Elaine Banton; EDI Rising Star and Bridging the Bar’s Founder - Mass Ndow-Njie; leader for Asian Women at the Bar - Hanisha Patel, and; disabled rights advocate Dr. Gregory Burke.