ICCA Proposes New Bar Course

LONDON, 10 MAY 2019 – The ICCA is delighted to announce that it has applied to the Bar Standards Board (BSB) to be authorised to deliver a new Bar Course that will replace the Bar Professional Training Course (BPTC). The new course sets out to lower the cost of training and has been designed to reduce risk dramatically and increase flexibility for students through its innovative two-part delivery. The ICCA Bar Course has been developed by education experts and legal practitioners to deliver new, high-quality vocational content that will give students the best possible preparation for a career at the Bar.

If approved, the course will be delivered in two parts from Autumn 2020. Part one will be knowledge-based and delivered online using cutting-edge digital tools. This part of the course will incorporate multimedia resources such as films, podcasts and quizzes to allow students to engage with the course material interactively. It will also include a number of bespoke case studies, which will help to apply more abstract knowledge required within the curriculum to real-life scenarios.

Part One has a guide time of between 12-16 weeks to complete and there will be an opportunity for students to exit the course after this point with no further financial commitment if they decide not to continue. The new course structure is flexible to enable students longer to complete part one should work, caring or other commitments require this, and they will be able to study this part of the course at any time of day and from any location.

Part Two of the course will run for 20 weeks, with intake scheduled twice yearly, and will be undertaken in person within the precincts of the Inns of Court. Part two will be dedicated to skills teaching, preparing students for potential future pupillages and a career at the Bar. There will be practical advocacy courses including essential specialist sessions on vulnerable witness advocacy, youth justice proceedings and expert witness handling.

The ICCA will charge £12,225 overall which will be split between £1,000 for part one and £11,225 for part two.  These fees include all teaching materials, required practitioner texts and assessment fees. Students will also need to cover the cost of the BSB’s  ‘intake fee’ which has been set at £575 for part one and £295 for part two.  The overall cost will therefore be £13,095.

Derek Wood QC, Chair of the ICCA Governors said: “We are delighted to be announcing this new Bar Course, which will provide students with greater flexibility, high standards of teaching and less financial commitment upfront.  The course will be offered on a ‘not-for-profit’ basis and will cost around thirty percent less* than London BPTCs presently on offer.”

Lynda Gibbs, Director of Programmes for the ICCA, said “The quality of oral and written advocacy is a cornerstone of our profession. Training barristers to develop first-class skills in advocacy and advisory services is a hugely important process and we are very excited to be providing this innovative course which will equip students to best meet the demands of the profession today.”

Richard Atkins QC, Chair of the Bar, remarked, “As the Approved Regulator, the Bar Council welcomes greater competition in the market. The proposed ICCA course also seeks to drive down the cost to students of qualifying for the Bar and this is also something that the Bar Council encourages.”

*2019/20 London BPTC fees (including the BSB fee) are: University of Law £18,735, City University £18,500, BPP University £19,070. The average of these fees is £18,768. 30% off this figure is £13,137.

More information about our Bar Course will appear here.

For general course enquiries please contact:
info@icca.ac.uk
020 7822 0763

For press enquries please contact:
Sarah Mulder, email: smulder@fireoth.com, mobile: 07720 401466
Lydia Eden, email: leden@fireoth.com, mobile: 07775 505400