In September 2023 the Bar Standards Board (BSB) announced that we had decided to vary the University of Hertfordshire’s authorisation to deliver vocational Bar training. The BSB’s decision meant that the University had to defer its next Bar course intake to January 2024.
The BSB made this decision in the interests of students because we believed that the University needed to strengthen a number of aspects of its course delivery to ensure that its students were properly supported and that it was complying with the mandatory requirements in the Authorisation Framework.
The University has made some progress in implementing the changes which we have sought but we have now concluded that they will not be in a position to deliver the Bar Course effectively from January 2024 in line with an AETO’s obligations set out in the Authorisation Framework and related Guidance. We have therefore informed the University that they must now defer their next Bar Course intake until these changes have been implemented and embedded.
The BSB will continue to work with the University to ensure the necessary improvements are implemented to enable the Bar course to be offered in future. Meanwhile we shall be seeking to ensure that the University continues to support students from their 2022 intake who are yet to pass the Bar course and enabling those who had enrolled on the 2023/24 course either to defer entry to the Bar course or to transfer to another provider.
ENDS
Notes to editors
The University of Hertfordshire was granted authorisation by the Bar Standards Board in November 2021 to deliver vocational Bar training and the University went on to commence its first Bar course in September 2022.
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