Explanatory note

This Order is the seventh commencement order made under the Crime and Courts Act 2013 (c. 22) (“the Act”). It brings into force section 24 of the Act, which deals with appeals relating to the regulation of the Bar. Section 24 applies only to England and Wales.

The effect of section 24 is that appeals against disciplinary decisions will be dealt with by the High Court rather than the Visitors to the Inns of Court. The appeals which now go to the High Court after the commencement of section 24 are appeals against decisions of Disciplinary Tribunals of the Council of the Inns of Court, decisions of the General Council of the Bar under the Bar Training Regulations, and disputes between an Inn of Court and its members or between members of an Inn.

Article 3(1) provides that section 24 has no effect, and therefore preserves the Visitors’ jurisdiction, for an appeal where the date of the decision is before 7th January 2014 and the appellant gives notice of intention to appeal to the Clerk to the Visitors in accordance with rule 4(1) before 18th April 2014. Article 4 makes consequential provision to replace references to the Visitors to the Inns of Court with references to the High Court. This consequential provision has no effect in relation to an appeal falling within article 3(1).