- £1.5 million annual funding to help
train aspiring legal talent
- 100 extra training places to help tear down
barriers to the legal profession
- Part of Government's plan to deliver a faster and fairer
justice system
Britain's brightest aspiring lawyers are to benefit from an
ambitious new scheme designed to help train the next
generation of criminal barristers.
Launching next week (Tuesday 01 September), the Government has
announced a multi-million-pound scheme to deliver up to 100
additional pupillages every year. The scheme will
provide young people with the practical training
required to become fully-fledged criminal barristers,
who help deliver faster and fairer justice for victims.
The landmark scheme, backed by £1.5 million per year, will widen
access to one of the country's most prestigious professions,
helping talented young people from all backgrounds secure the
practical training needed to qualify as criminal barristers.
At the same time, it will strengthen the Criminal Bar by boosting
the number of junior advocates entering the profession and
develop a strong pipeline of talent to support the criminal
justice system at a critical time.
Minister for Courts and Legal Services
Sarah Sackman KC MP said:
I'll never forget the day I was called to the Bar. It was a
privilege to enter a profession that can help individuals in
times of crisis and support the delivery of justice in this
country. I want those opportunities open to the brightest
people from all over the country and every background.
This major initiative will help train the next
generation of criminal barristers who are essential
to upholding the rule of law and delivering swifter justice
for victims.
Backing future barristers will also deliver a stronger legal
sector, which contributes more than £42 billion to the UK economy
each year. This latest investment will ensure the legal sector
has the talent it needs to drive growth and talent across the
country
The scheme builds on the successful Council of the Inns of
Court pupillage match-funding programme, providing
dedicated support for pupillages across England and Wales.
Government funding will support additional training places that
would not otherwise be available. This scheme contributes to the
Government's wider ambition of increasing opportunities for youth
employment through The Job Guarantee and the most significant
reforms to the apprenticeship system in a generation.
Riel Karmy-Jones KC, Chair, and Andrew Thomas KC, Chair
elect of the Criminal Bar Association, said:
This is a very positive step forward. The criminal justice System
needs a vibrant diverse and independent Criminal Bar to
strengthen public cohesion.
"Pupil barristers receive training by unpaid volunteers
from the profession, who give up their time to provide education,
supervision and mentoring.
"This additional funding from the Government will support that
work and also the Bar's initiatives to ensure that we recruit
from the widest possible pool of candidates
"We welcome this and look forward to working alongside the Lord
Chancellor, the Courts minister and chambers across England and
Wales on this promised investment plan.
Bar Council Chair Kirsty Brimelow KC added:
We welcome the implementation of this initiative, the result of
joint working between the Ministry of Justice, the Bar Council,
the Criminal Bar Association and the Inns of Courts. It has been
championed by the Bar Council since 2024 where it featured in our
Manifesto for justice'.
The funding of additional criminal pupillages is a necessary step
towards fortifying the long-term pipeline of junior criminal
barristers. This, in turn, supports the criminal justice system
which, in turn, supports complainants, witnesses and defendants
by helping to reduce delays caused by a depleted criminal
barrister workforce.
Chambers receiving funding will be expected to incorporate
equal opportunity measures into their recruitment
practices through targeted outreach and steps to
increase representation in the profession.
The announcement forms part of the Government's wider plan to
rebuild the criminal justice system. The Lord Chancellor has made
clear that one of his key priorities is tackling the
Crown Court backlog so victims can see justice delivered more
quickly.
ENDS.
FURTHER INFORMATION:
- Applications from chambers to
receive matched funding are invited between 1
September and 16 October 2026. Decisions on applications will be
communicated to chambers during the
week commencing 2 November 2026.
- Online applications can be made through the COIC website
at: www.coic.org.uk/pupillage-matched-funding.
