At least five exits have been reported as a result of a restructure
The UK Bar Standards Board has confirmed the pending departures of two directors as a result of a restructure announced today, reported the Law Society Gazette.
Legal and enforcement director Sara Jagger and communications and public engagement director Wilf White are both set to exit the board. Jagger has logged a 19-year tenure with the board and was appointed legal and enforcement director in 2019; meanwhile, White commenced with the BSB in 2016.
Jagger will officially leave in 2025 after assisting the board with the transition to a permanent legal and information director. The board added that three either have either departed or are in the process of doing so; two others are expected to leave as well after helping with the transition period.
The Gazette said that it had requested confirmation from the BSB as to whether these five exits were in addition to the departures of Jagger and White.
The BSB said that the restructure would be implemented on Monday in line with a broader reform programme that is incorporating recommendations made by Fieldfisher. The firm was brought in last year to evaluate the effectiveness of the BSB’s enforcement system; in April 2023, the BSB was the sole legal services regulator to be handed a red traffic light rating on enforcement by the Legals Services Board following its annual legal profession audit.
The new BSB structure will group staff into six departments: strategy, policy and insight; regulatory standards; regulatory enforcement; legal and information management; business planning, programmes and engagement; and people and culture. In the process, some directors and their departments would be assigned new functions and responsibilities.
The board also told the Gazette that other directors would be given equivalent positions in line with the reorganisation. The related costs would be integrated into the BSB’s 2024/2025 budget.
The BSB regulates barristers based in England and Wales as well as specialised legal services business in consideration of public interest.
