1. 39 Park Square Chambers operates an equal opportunities policy. We are committed to the implementation of equal treatment and to ensure an absence of direct or indirect discrimination on the grounds of race, colour, national or ethnic origins; nationality or citizenship; gender, marital status or sexual orientation; religion, political persuasion, age or disability.
2. No decisions on recruitment, training, development, promotion or anything which may affect employees, applicants or clients will be influenced by any of these factors.
3. The policy also covers the conduct of all members, pupils and staff. Discrimination of any kind will be viewed as unacceptable and will result in the commencement of disciplinary procedures.
4. 39 Park Square Chambers equal opportunities policy complies with the Bar Council Equality Code. The key equality and diversity provisions governing Chambers conduct are:
   • Para.204 of the code of conduct of the Bar of England and Wales prohibits a practising Barrister from discriminating on the grounds of their race, colour, ethnic or national origin, nationality, marital status, disability, religion or political persuasion.
   • Under Para.304 of the Code of Conduct, Barristers in independent practice must have regard to the Equality Code for the Bar.
   • The Sex Discrimination Act 1975 and the Race Relations Act 1976, as amended by section 64 of the Courts and Legal Services Act 1990, place a duty on Barristers (and Barristers’ clerks) not to discriminate on the grounds of race or sex.
   • It is unlawful for a person to victimise persons by treating them less favourably because they have brought proceedings under the Race Relations or Sex Discrimination Act, have given evidence or information relating to proceedings or have alleged that discrimination had occurred. Such treatment will also breach Para.204 of the Code of Conduct.
   • It is unlawful for a person to instruct, induce or attempt to induce another person to discriminate on the grounds of race, colour, ethnic or national origin, nationality, citizenship, sex or marital status. Equally it is unlawful to act on such instructions or inducement.
   • Employers or principals are vicariously liable for any unlawfully discriminatory act of their employees or agents in the course of their work, unless they can demonstrate that they have taken all reasonable steps to prevent such acts.
   • Para. 601 and 602 expressly prohibit a Barrister from withdrawing his services on the grounds of objection to the case, objection to the beliefs of the client, or the financial implications of the case. Irrespective of the client paying privately or being funded publicly, the party on whose behalf he has been instructed, the nature of the case, and any opinion formed about the character or the case, a Barrister who supplies advocacy services must accept any brief, appropriate to his experience, to appear before a court in which he professes to practice, any instructions, and act on behalf of any person.
5. We are currently collecting data in order to review and monitor our performance under this Equality plan. Once collected the data will be published, reviewed and updated regularly as required by the Code of Conduct.
6. If a person has, or believes that they have, a ground for complaint, please refer to out complaints procedure here.

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