Direct Public Access - what is it?

The Direct Public Access scheme enables certain members of Chambers to be instructed by members of the general public. There are significant savings to clients under the scheme and fees can be agreed on a fixed term basis which assists clients in keeping costs under control.

2 King's Bench Walk has a number of accredited barristers who are able to accept instructions directly from the public via the Direct Public Access Scheme.

Chambers has experience and expertise amongst our panel to advise on many areas of law including Road Traffic Offences and Prison work. These areas are in addition to our principle area of specialism which is Criminal Law. Please access the profiles of the members of chambers below who have undergone training and are accredited to accept instructions under the scheme - Direct Public Access Barristers.

2 King's Bench Walk is committed to providing clients with a service that is approachable, efficient and cost effective. We will assist clients if they are considering using a barrister directly to decide if this is the best route for them and if this is the best way of accessing legal services works.

We represent clients charged with criminal and civil matters in the Magistrates Court, the Crown Court, Court of Appeal and the High Court. We also represent clients who require legal representation in Regulatory Tribunals and other Legal Tribunals.

What we can do 

• Provide you with expert legal advice
• Provide a second opinion where a Solicitor or Barrister has already given you advice
• Draft documents
• Assist you to draft correspondence
• Assist in drafting statements from litigants and witnesses
• Advise you on suitable expert witnesses and draft your instructions to them
• Offer you advice on proceedings
• Draft Court documents
• Appear in Court on your behalf

What we cannot do

• Handle money on your behalf
• Instruct expert witnesses directly
• Contact witnesses directly
• Investigate evidence
• Correspond with opposing lawyers on your behalf

How to instruct us

In the first instance please contact the Clerks either by telephone or email. Our Clerks are trained in dealing with Public Access cases and are experienced in recommending Barristers with the most relevant experience to assist you. They can be reached by email at clerks@2kbw.com and by telephone on 020 7353 1746.

If we are able to accept your Public Access case, one of our team of experienced barristers will contact you to discuss your legal issue and advise you if they need more information in order to advise you fully. The Clerk will then give you a quotation for the work you require and send you a contract, which will set out the Terms and Conditions on which the work will be done.

You will be asked to provide the following information:

• Your name and contact details
• The nature of the dispute
• The identity of the other party/parties to the dispute
• The work required (eg representation at a hearing or similar)
• Any relevant deadlines (eg date for filing a document).

The general Terms & Conditions of engagement are:

• Barristers' fees will be charged depending on their level of experience, the complexity of the case and the length of time involved in dealing with it;
• Barristers will usually charge either a fixed fee for a piece of work or an hourly rate, depending on the nature of the work;
• Where the fee relates to a Tribuna/Court hearing, the Barrister is entitled to receive the fee whether or not the hearing goes ahead. This is because the Barristers' professional diary will have been arranged to ensure that they remained available to attend the Hearing;
• Fees for paperwork and conferences will be fixed in advance where we can. If this is not possible, we will provide an estimate. Please note it is possible to set a limit on what you are prepared to spend and we will tell you in advance of that limit being reached;
• Where fees are agreed in advance of the work being carried out, the Barrister will require the fee to be paid before undertaking the work;
• Where a fee is not fixed in advance and the work involves the production of paperwork the Barrister will require you to pay for the work before it is released to you;
• If the Barrister discovers that the work is going to take longer than the original time agreed, the Clerk will contact you immediately to discuss any amendments to your contract.

Please do feel free to contact any of our Clerks to discuss your Direct Public Access case.

Barristers who are currently available for Direct Public Access work:

Timothy Mousley QC - Call date 1979R

William Mousley  QC - Call date 1986

Christopher Stopa - Call date 1976

Angus Robertson - Call date 1978

Selwyn Shapiro - Call date 1979

Robert Bolton - Call date 1987

Michelle Clarke - Call date 1988

Russell Pyne - Call date 1991

Christopher Amis - Call date 1991

Fern Russell - Call date 1994

Gabrielle McAvock - Call date 1994

Elisabeth Bussey-Jones - Call date 1992

Oliver Wellings - Call date 2001

Natalie Wood - Call date 2001

Rebecca Austin - Call date 2002

Rachael Lane - Call date 2002

Kate Freemantle - Call date 2003

Jeremy Barton - Call date 2004

Eileen Sproson - Call date 2005

We would be happy to discuss with you in the first place whether the Direct Public Access Scheme is suitable for your legal requirements. Upon agreement we will send you a Client Care letter with our Terms and Conditions.

 If you require further assistance please contact our dedicated Direct Public Access clerk Bill Connor. 

Telephone: 020 7353 1746 

Email: clerks@2kbw.com

 More information on the Direct Public Access Scheme 

For more information on the Direct Public Access Scheme please view The Bar Council's information through the folllowing link:

 http://www.barcouncil.org.uk/about/publicaccess/