Barrister training: waivers & exemptions

DOWNLOAD OUR FEE PAYMENTS, WAIVERS & REFUNDS POLICY

Our Policy on Application Fee Payments, Waivers and Refunds includes guidance on:

• making application fee payments by bank transfer (BACS) or credit/debit card
• fee waivers
• refunds

To avoid delays in identifying your fee payment, you must quote your full name or CRM reference when making a payment by bank transfer. 

Fee Waiver
Application for a waiver of the fee for any application considered by the BSB's Authorisations Team (including first instance decisions and requests for review).
Application Form 

Please see the table below for a full list of our current application fees.

Includes applications relating to the academic component of training

Please see our Policy for guidance on Application Fee Payments, Waiver and Refunds

Early Commencement of the Vocational Component of Bar Training 
Application by a student for permission to commence a vocational component Bar Course before completion of the academic component of Bar training.
£215 - Application Form - Guidelines

Certificate of Academic Standing 
Application by a student who does not hold a UK Law Degree, who wishes to undertake the Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL) for completion of the academic component of training.
£260 - Application Form - Guidelines

Exercise of Discretion 
Application by a student who has obtained an undergraduate degree below the required minimum standard of a lower second class honours (2:2).
£290 - Application Form - Guidelines

Reactivation of Stale Qualifications 
Application by a student seeking to commence a vocational component Bar Training Course more than five years after the end of the calendar year (ie 31 December) in which they completed the academic component of training for the Bar.
£290 - Application Form - Guidelines

Exemption (England Wales Degree Provider) 
Application by a student for exemption from the foundations of legal knowledge subjects, where they have passed corresponding subjects within a degree from Degree Provider in England and Wales.
£360 - Application Form - Guidelines

Exemption (Non-England and Wales Degree Provider) 
Application by a student for exemption from the foundations of legal knowledge subjects, where they have passed corresponding subjects within a degree from a Degree Provider outside of England and Wales.
£550 - Application Form - Guidelines

Exemption (Professional Qualifications) 
Application by a student for exemption from the foundations of legal knowledge subjects, where they have passed corresponding subjects within professional qualifications.
£550 - Application Form - Guidelines

If you are a current undergraduate degree or Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL) student intending to start vocational Bar training in the Autumn, please read our Guidance for undergraduates affected by the University and College Union (UCU) marking boycott.

Includes applications relating to pupillage reduction and other dispensations from the regulations governing pupillage, such as late commencement.

Please see our Policy for guidance on Application Fee Payments, Waiver and Refunds

Pupillage Reduction
Application for reductions in pupillage based on experience gained outside the usual
pupillage structure.
£70 - Application Form - Guidelines

Pupillage Reduction (Barrister also qualified as a Solicitor)
Application by an individual who has both been called to the Bar and enrolled as a solicitor and who is seeking a reduction in pupillage.
£70 - Application Form - Guidelines

Pupillage Dispensation
Application for dispensation from the Regulations governing pupillage (including breaks in pupillage and late commencement, ie permission to commence pupillage more than five years after the date of award of the intended pupil's vocational component Bar Course).
£70 - Application Form - Guidelines

Retrospective Registration
Application for permission to have a relevant period of pupillage treated as having
commenced other than on the date of receipt of the application for registration.
£70 - Application Form - Guidelines

The Future Bar Training programme concluded that we should remove exemption from the advertising and funding requirements for transferring lawyers who are required to do pupillage. This was to create a level playing field and ensure that:

• no one who is financially disadvantaged is discriminated against when seeking pupillage opportunities; and
• all pupillage opportunities are transparently advertised, so that they are not confined to people with the social capital that others may not have to make those “unsolicited approaches”.

Please contact the Authorisations Manager via email to [email protected] if you are unsure about any of our published guidance.

Pupillage Funding and Advertising & Recruitment Requirements Waivers
£130 - Application Form - Guidelines

FUNDING - application for waiver of the pupillage funding requirements (Rules C113-118) which require all pupillages to be funded to a minimum level and payment of other pupillage costs and expenses. 

ADVERTISING AND RECRUITMENT - application for waiver of: a) the requirement for all pupillages to be advertised on the Pupillage Gateway website and recruited in accordance with the mandatory timetable specified in the Bar Qualification Manual; b) the requirement for all assessed mini pupillages to be advertised on the Pupillage Gateway website. 

PLEASE NOTE: If you wish to offer multiple/additional pupillages to candidates from an existing pupillage advert, please see our guidance on the Authorisations Team Service Update page.

Includes applications for full admission and Temporary Call to the Bar.

Please see our Policy for guidance on Application Fee Payments, Waiver and Refunds

Admission to the Bar as a Transferring Qualified Lawyer

Please see our Applications page for information on how to apply as a Transferring Qualified Lawyer, including creating a CRM profile, key supporting documents, fee payments, and prioritisation requests.

**UPDATE** - We are dealing with a very high volume of these applications currently. Where possible, we will aim to prioritise applications from applicants who can provide evidence of a pupillage or tenancy/employment offer, with a confirmed starting date.

Other applications

European Lawyer - Registration
Application for registration as a Registered European Lawyer, pursuant to the European Establishment Directive 98/5/EC of 16 February 1999. NB. VALID FOR SWISS QUALIFIED LAWYERS ONLY AFTER 1 JANUARY 2021.
£575 - Application Form - Guidelines 

Temporary Call 
Application to allow an applicant to appear in court in England and Wales to conduct a specific case or cases only.
£575 - Application Form - Guidelines

Please see our guidance and application forms for:

• Continuing Professional Development (CPD),
• the Qualified Person Requirement,
• Conducting Litigation, and 
• Public Access.

Please see our Policy for guidance on Application Fee Payments, Waiver and Refunds

General Exemption
Application for exemption from all or part of the academic component and/or vocational component and/or pupillage/work-based learning component of training for the Bar.
£575 - Application Form - Guidelines

Vocational Component Exemption (Bar Exam for non-intending practitioners)
Application for exemption from the vocational component of training by those who had passed the Bar Examination for non-intending practitioners to determine their eligibility to commence pupillage.
£215 - Application Form - Guidelines

Designation as a Legal Advice Centre   
Application by legal advice centres for designation as suitable for the employment or attendance of barristers.
£215 - Application Form - Guidelines

Please see our guidance and application forms for:

• Review - Application for review of specified decisions taken by the Bar Standards Board, the Inns of Court and the Inns' Conduct Committee.
• Review of a Practising Certificate Decision - Application for review of a decision of the Bar Standards Board regarding the issue/amendment/revocation of a Practising Certificate.
• Review of an Entity Authorisation Decision - Application for review of a decision of the Bar Standards Board regarding the authorisation of an Entity (BSB authorised body/BSB licensed body).

I am unhappy with a decision and want to apply for a review, are the Independent Reviewers still hearing cases?

Where a right of review or appeal exists in relation to an Authorisations decision, if you are unhappy with such a decision taken by us, your right to review is unaffected and our independent review panel will meet via video conference to consider such requests.

I was unable to submit my application for a review on time, due to being unwell with coronavirus, can I still request a review?

Applications received which would normally be considered out of time, will be accepted where applicants have been affected by Covid-19.

I have received a decision from the review panel and I disagree with it, can I still appeal?

Applicants who remain dissatisfied still have the right of appeal, arrangements for hearings will be decided by the High Court.