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Any barrister who has been found guilty of charges of professional misconduct at a Disciplinary Tribunal has the right to appeal against the finding and/or the sentence.

If you are considering making an appeal you may find it useful to read our Hearings Before the Visitors  Guidance

 Appeals are made to the Visitors of the Inns of Court. The Visitors are independent of the Bar Standards Board.

If the Appeal is from the finding, it will normally be heard by a High Court Judge sitting alone. Appeals from the finding or sentence of a Disciplinary Tribunal are normally heard by a panel of three, consisting of a High Court Judge, a barrister, and a lay member.

Appeal hearings are relatively formal and will usually consist of the barrister who has been found guilty of charges putting forward his/her case followed by our response.

Decisions and reasons are usually given at the end of the hearing but in some cases the Visitors will reserve judgement so that full written reasons can be provided.

Appeal hearings may last from a couple hours to a full day.

Appeal hearings normally take place at the Royal Courts of Justice and if you wish to attend, you should contact the Investigations and Hearings Team to be notified of the Court number.