Barrister James Boyle was ordered to be disbarred by an independent disciplinary tribunal which concluded on 15 July 2025 following three charges of professional misconduct brought by the Bar Standards Board (BSB).
The tribunal found that Mr Boyle acted in a manner which was likely to diminish the trust and confidence which the public places in him or the profession, in that, on 19 April 2023, he was convicted of a rape of a girl under 16 years, indecent assault of a female under 16 years and a rape of a female aged between 16 and 19 years.
The sexual offences had taken place between 1986 and 1988 and before Mr Boyle had been called to the Bar in 1999. He was sentenced on 26 June 2023 at Cambridge Crown Court to sixteen years imprisonment. Mr Boyle also failed to report promptly to the Bar Standards Board that he had been charged and then convicted. Mr Boyle was ordered to be disbarred in relation to the criminal convictions, with no further penalty for the failure to report matters to the BSB.
Spokesperson, The Bar Standards Board said:
“Serious conduct of this nature is incompatible with membership of the Bar. The seriousness and impact on the public expectations of the profession is reflected in the decision of the tribunal to disbar Mr Boyle.”
ENDS
Note to editors
About James Boyle
James Boyle was called to the Bar of England and Wales by Middle Temple in November 1999.
About disciplinary tribunals
The appointment, operation, and decisions (including sentencing) of disciplinary tribunal panels are performed by the Bar Tribunals and Adjudication Service (BTAS). BTAS is run independently of the Bar Standards Board, the barristers' regulator. The BSB is responsible for bringing charges of professional misconduct against barristers, which BTAS tribunal panels then adjudicate. The sanctions imposed are a matter for the tribunal having regard to the facts of the individual case and the BTAS Sanctions Guidance.
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