For students intending to qualify and practise as barristers in England and Wales, the Bar Qualification Rules within Part 4 of the BSB Handbook that were introduced in April 2019, set out the requirements relating to education and training. At the heart of the new rules is the Professional Statement for Barristers incorporating the Threshold Standard and Competences. This describes the knowledge, skills and attributes that all barristers should have on "day one" of practice.  

A student who trains at an Authorised Education and Training Organisation (AETO) on an approved pathway will be trained to meet the requirements of the Professional Statement. The various components of Bar training are designed to ensure that anyone who starts practising has proved that they meet the standards outlined in the Professional Statement and have therefore demonstrated they have all the necessary competences to be a barrister.

The Professional Statement also helps AETOs understand what the outcomes of Bar training are and enables them to design programmes to meet the required standards for each component of training.

DOWNLOAD THE PROFESSIONAL STATEMENT