Public Access

Under the Public Access Scheme (PAS), members of the public and commercial and non-commercial organisations can now instruct barristers directly on most civil matters, if those barristers are registered Public Access (also known as Direct Access) practitioners. No solicitor needs first to be retained to instruct counsel in such cases.

Those members who are currently approved to accept such instructions are:

• Kuldip Singh KC
• John Machell KC
• Hugh Norbury KC
• Professor Jonathan Harris KC (Hon.)
• Andrew Francis
• Thomas Braithwaite
• Jonathan Fowles (charity law cases only)
• Hugh Rowan

Please note these members of Serle Court do not accept public access instructions in any area of work which is not within Chambers’ usual areas of expertise (for example, employment, immigration, licensing, personal injury, or crime), or in the following areas of practice:

• Advice under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975
• Financial disputes arising out of divorce
• Winding up petitions

Further information about the areas of work in which these members will accept PAS instructions can be obtained from the Practice Management Team and the individual profile pages for each barrister.

Each barrister who accepts instructions under the PAS will have a set of terms and conditions on which they accept work. The type of fee arrangement they propose will be determined on a case-by-case basis. Our members generally charge an hourly rate, with brief fees and refreshers. In some cases, a fixed fee can be agreed upon. We also consider Conditional Fee Agreements (CFAs) and partial Conditional Fee Agreements.

Our Practice Managers are always happy to discuss fees and, where requested, provide estimates.

Further information about instructing a Public Access barrister can be found on the Public Access Guidance for Lay Clients page on the Bar Standards Board’s website.