England and Wales' bar controller also confirms pupillage alternatives will eventually be implemented
Would-be barristers in England and Wales are set to receive higher pupillage awards.
The Bar Standards Board (BSB) has announced that awards, currently set at £12,000 a year for all locations, will be brought in line with pay recommendations of the Living Wage Foundation.
That means pupillage awards are set to jump to £17,212.50 in London and £14,765.63 elsewhere. The new rule, which will mirror annual living wage adjustments, is expected to come into effect in 2019.
In the policy statement, the BSB also said that even though the vast majority of barrister hopeful will undergo pupillage, new routes into the profession will eventually be put in place.
The regulator did not go into detail, however, about what these paths may be or when they may be implemented.