Equality & Diversity

Equality And Diversity Policy

1. This Equality and Diversity Policy applies to all of the workforce of Eadala Chambers. The BSB Handbook defines “workforce” in the case of a Chambers as the staff, barristers, pupils and assessed mini-pupils.  
2. All members of the workforce of Eadala Chambers are required to review and implement this Equality and Diversity Policy. Chambers reminds its workforce that Rule C12 of the BSB Handbook, which must be adhered to, states as follows:  “You must not discriminate unlawfully against, victimise or harass any other person on the grounds of race, colour, ethnic or national origin, nationality, citizenship, sex, gender re-assignment, sexual orientation, marital or civil partnership status, disability, age, religion or belief, or pregnancy and maternity.”
3. Chambers has appointed Muneeb Akram as its Equality and Diversity Officer.   
4. Save in exceptional circumstances, every member of all Chambers’ selection panels must and shall be trained in fair recruitment and selection processes. Recruitment and selection processes shall use objective and fair criteria.  
5. Chambers shall conduct a regular review of its policy on equality and diversity and of its implementation, in order to ensure that it complies with the requirements of the BSB Handbook. Chambers shall take any appropriate remedial action identified in the light of that review.  
6. The Equality and Diversity Officer shall, with the aim of ensuring that applicants with relevant characteristics are not refused employment because of such characteristics, regularly review:   

   
   
   a.the number and percentages of its workforce from different groups;
   
   
   b.applications to become a member of Chambers and a member of its workforce; and   

   
   c.the allocation of unassigned work.  

7. The “regular reviews” referred to in the paragraph above means as often as is necessary in order to ensure effective monitoring and review takes place and shall include the following:  

   
   
   a.collecting and analysing data broken down by race, disability and gender;    

   
   
   b.investigating the reasons for any disparities in that data; and   
   
   c.taking appropriate remedial action, which means any action aimed at removing or reducing the disadvantage experienced by particular relevant groups. Remedial action cannot, however, include positive discrimination in favour of members of relevant groups.  
8. The affairs of Eadala Chambers must and shall be conducted in a manner which is fair and equitable to all members of Chambers’ workforce. This includes, but is not limited to, the fair distribution of work opportunities among pupils and barristers within Chambers.  
9. Chambers has appointed Muneeb Akram as Diversity Data Officer and has provided the name and contact details of the Diversity Data Officer to the Bar Standards Board. Chambers shall also notify the Bar Standards Board of any change to the identity of the Diversity Data Officer, as soon as reasonably practicable.  
10. The Diversity Data Officer shall comply with the following requirements in relation to the collection, processing and publication of diversity data.  
11. The Diversity Data Officer shall invite members of the workforce to provide diversity data in respect of themselves to the Diversity Data Officer using the model questionnaire in Section 7 of the B SB’s Supporting Information on the BSB Handbook Equality Rules.    
12. The Diversity Data Officer shall ensure that such data is anonymised and that an accurate and updated summary of it is published on Chambers’ website every three years.   
13. The published summary of anonymised data shall:  
    
    a.exclude diversity data in relation to any characteristic where there is a real risk that individuals could be identified, unless all affected individuals’ consent; and   
    b.include anonymised data in relation to each characteristic, categorised by reference to the job title and seniority of the workforce.   
14. The Diversity Data Officer shall:  
    
    a.ensure that Chambers has in place a written policy statement on the collection, publication, retention and destruction of diversity data, which shall include an explanation that the provision of diversity data is voluntary;   
    b.notify the workforce of the contents of the written policy statement; and   
    c.ask for explicit consent from the workforce to the provision and processing of their diversity data in accordance with the written policy statement and the BSB Handbook, in advance of collecting their diversity data.   
15. The Head of Chambers shall ensure that Chambers has the policies and training required by Rule rC110 of the BSB Handbook, that an Equality and Diversity Officer is appointed to monitor compliance, and that any breaches are appropriately punished. The Head of Chambers is reminded that for the purpose of Rule rC110 of the BSB Handbook, training means any course of study covering all the following areas:  
    
    a.fair and effective selection & avoiding unconscious bias;   
    b.attraction and advertising;  
    c.application processes; 
    d.shortlisting skills;   
    e.interviewing skills;   
    f.assessment and making a selection decision; and   
    g.monitoring and evaluation.  
16. Where practicable, training shall be undertaken via classroom sessions. However, Chambers may also provide training in the following ways: online sessions, private study of relevant materials such as the Bar Council’s Fair Recruitment Guide and completion of CPD covering fair recruitment and selection processes.   
17. Chambers shall take reasonable steps to ensure the work opportunities are shared fairly among its workforce. This obligation includes work which has not been allocated by the solicitor to a named barrister. It includes fairness in presenting to solicitors, names for consideration and fairness in opportunities to attract future named work, such as fairness in arrangements for marketing