25 Bedford Row

25 Bedford Row is committed to respecting and understanding the cultural needs of its diverse client base, and is committed to achieving and promoting equality and diversity in the provision of services, recruitment and access to the Bar in general. Chambers provides its services for the general community and not for any discrete client group which might be interpreted as discriminatory.

Within Chambers, we have an established Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Committee. The aim of this Committee is to promote equality and diversity within Chambers and reduce discrimination and unconscious bias. The Committee also aims to monitor and improve the wellbeing of Chambers as a whole.

Several of our Barristers mentor young people who aspire to have a career at the Bar, and have been individually recognised for their contribution to equality, diversity and inclusion at the Bar.

Jo Sidhu QC was awarded “Achievement in Law” at the first British Sikh Awards 2022. These Awards (which showcased the strength of the British Sikh community, the impact they have on culture and their achievements over the last year) were held to recognise a wide range of achievements from Sikh individuals across the UK who positively impact business, charity, sport, arts, culture, religious advocacy, education and medicine.

Laurie-Anne Power QC has been the Chair of Women in Criminal Law’s Race Equality Committee since its formation in 2020. The aim of this sub-committee is to unite women of colour, of all backgrounds and races, working within criminal law in order to work together in dismantling clear and obvious structural racism and bias which has held women back from progressing.

Abimbola Johnson has begun her post as the Chair of the Independent Scrutiny and Oversight Board of the police’s race strategy developed by Chief Constables in the wake of the Black Lives Matter movement.

Following its postponement due to the pandemic, Chambers has re-commenced its mini-pupillage scheme. To ensure applicants have the chance to apply throughout the year, we now have three application rounds.

Our Insight Days provide an opportunity for those aspiring to become a Barrister to ask questions and listen to several Members (of various years of call) speak about life at the Criminal Bar, what a typical day is like and tips on the pupillage application process.

25 Bedford Row is a member of the Pegasus Access and Support Scheme (PASS) as established by the Inner Temple. We are also a proud participant in the Bar Placement Scheme. Both schemes are designed to improve access to the Bar profession for students from under-represented backgrounds.

We are a proud partner of 10,000 Black Interns, which seeks to offer 2,000 internships each year for five consecutive years. Each internship offered presents the opportunity to change a life.

We are Disability Confident Committed.

Corporate Social Responsibility

25 Bedford Row is a member of the Bar Council Sustainability Network. We are committed to reducing our environmental impact and moving towards more sustainable ways of working and living. By reducing our carbon footprint and tackling climate change, together we hope to achieve the Bar’s aim of being carbon neutral by 2030.

We are an accredited London Living Wage employer. This means that all employees and contracted staff are paid at or above a minimum hourly rate which is set annually by the Living Wage Foundation and calculated by the Greater London Authority.