Public Access

In the past, individuals and businesses were not allowed to instruct a barrister without a solicitor as an intermediary; the Bar was always a "referral profession". In recent years the rules have changed to allow some barristers to accept instructions directly in suitable cases.

Business clients and members of the professions often find Public Access useful especially when they have the capacity and resources to carry out some of the work that a solicitor might traditionally do and/or already have a good level of understanding of the law and simply want specialist advice on certain issues. It can be a very cost effective way of getting straight to the nub of it.

Individuals also appreciate the no nonsense advice they receive. Instructing a barrister with Roderick's level of experience to advise at an early stage can lead to an advantageous resolution sooner than might otherwise be expected, thus making significant financial and emotional savings.

Professional bodies have also been able to make use of the Public Access scheme as they are allowed to act as an intermediary to obtain legal assistance directly for their members, this is particularly helpful for disciplinary and regulatory issues.

Roderick accepts Public Access instructions in these key areas of his practice: Employment, Regulatory, Investigations/Adjudications, Inquests and Racing. Prospective clients should note that not all cases or client circumstances are suitable for Public Access and each enquiry will need to be considered individually.  Roderick will commonly advise in writing and in person and draft legal documents.  He can also represent Public Access clients in courts and tribunals where appropriate.  Importantly, Roderick cannot conduct litigation on your behalf, nor can he handle your funds. He does not accept Public Access instructions for Family Finance cases. 

There is wealth of useful information about Public Access in the Bar Standards Board Public Access Guidance that may be downloaded here:

The Bar Standards Board Handbook (PDF)

If you are considering instructing Roderick direct, just get in touch with Arabella and she will assist you every step of the way.

All individual circumstances are different but a typical Public Access Instruction may go like this:

1. You contact Arabella and provide an outline of your requirements.
2. She will let you know whether or not your case is suitable and quote a fee (she may require further information in order to do this).
3. If you are happy with the fee and wish to proceed, Arabella will send you a Client Care Letter which will contain details of the work, the timescale and general terms. You will also receive an Invoice including payment details.  
4. You check you are happy with the Client Care Letter & Terms and indicate your agreement by signing as required and you make payment.
5. Roderick will do the work and/or an agreed date will be entered in the diary for it to be done.

In the modern age of email and faster bank payments, we find that these steps need not cause any undue delay.

We will be guided by you as to how quickly you need the work done.  We will always try to accommodate your requirements and will tell you at the outset if your timescale cannot be met. The turnaround time will depend on how much work is involved and how heavily booked the diary is. You will need to bear in mind that there will be other commitments in the diary for paperwork, conferences and court work. On occasion Roderick may be unavailable for certain periods due to extended court commitments. If Roderick has availability it is possible for advice to be given within a day or so and in any event he will usually revert to clients with advice or drafting within 1 week, or 2 weeks in busy periods. If you have fixed dates in mind (eg for a hearing) then you will need to check for availability at the outset and also make sure you check Roderick's availability before fixing hearing dates that you wish him to attend.