Ministry of Justice: 100 Criminal Pupillages Funding for 2027 Intake

• The Ministry of Justice is investing £1.5 million annually to fund up to 100 new criminal pupillages.
• This initiative, in partnership with the Council of the Inns of Court, targets legally aided criminal law and requires chambers to offer *additional* pupillages.
• Funding for the first six months of pupillage will begin in 2027-2028, with amounts varying by location and increasing in 2028-2029.
• Chambers must incorporate equal opportunity measures in recruitment and provide data for monitoring the program.
• Minister of State for Courts and Legal Services Sarah Sackman stated the initiative aims to train the next generation of criminal barristers vital for upholding the rule of law and delivering justice.

This major initiative will help train the next generation of criminal barristers who are essential to upholding the rule of law and delivering swifter justice for victims.

The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has announced a significant annual investment of £1.5 million aimed at bolstering the criminal bar by funding up to 100 new pupillages specifically within legally aided criminal law. This initiative, a collaborative effort between the MoJ and the Council of the Inns of Court (COIC), marks a targeted expansion of support for aspiring barristers in a critical area of legal practice. The funding is designed to enable selected chambers to offer an *additional* pupillage, rather than subsidizing existing plans.

This new £1.5 million criminal pupillage investment will commence with the 2027-2028 academic year, providing barrister training grants UK 2027 for the initial six months of the pupillage. For pupillages starting in 2027-2028, the matched funding from the MoJ and COIC will be £12,400 for London-based pupillages and £11,350 for those outside the capital. These figures are set to increase for the 2028-2029 intake, rising to £13,500 for London and £12,350 for regions outside London. Chambers receiving this MoJ COIC criminal bar funding are subsequently responsible for ensuring the total pupillage award meets the Bar Standards Board's (BSB) minimum requirement for the relevant year.

Crucially, chambers wishing to benefit from this UK legally aided pupillage scheme must adhere to specific conditions. They are required to consider integrating equal opportunity measures into their recruitment processes. Furthermore, they must provide comprehensive data to facilitate the monitoring and evaluation of how the funding is utilized and its overall impact. The funding explicitly excludes pupillages that chambers would have offered irrespective of this new government support, ensuring the investment genuinely expands opportunities.

This focused investment into the criminal bar builds upon COIC's existing, broader scheme, which has been in operation since 2014. COIC's long-standing initiative supports chambers primarily engaged in legally aided work across various practice areas. Since its inception, that scheme has seen substantial growth, increasing from 14 funded pupillages at its launch to supporting 33 pupillages by 2023. The joint plan with the Ministry of Justice represents a concentrated effort to significantly amplify this support specifically for criminal law, aiming to fund approximately three times the number of pupillages COIC's broader scheme supported in 2023 within the criminal sector alone.

While the new funding addresses the initial six months of pupillage, chambers remain responsible for ensuring the overall award meets the BSB's minimum standards. For the current year, these minimums are set at £25,863 for London and £23,504 elsewhere. This contrasts sharply with the remuneration available in other legal fields, where top commercial and tax sets can offer pupillage awards reaching up to £100,000, highlighting a significant disparity across the legal profession.

The difficulty in securing pupillage is a well-documented challenge for aspiring barristers. Historically, the success rate for securing a pupillage has seen declines, with figures reportedly down from over 70% prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. This new Ministry of Justice 100 criminal pupillages funding initiative therefore arrives at a time when targeted support for entry into the bar, particularly in less lucrative but vital areas like criminal law, is highly pertinent.

The strategic intent behind this substantial investment was articulated by Sarah Sackman, the Minister of State for Courts and Legal Services, who emphasized the importance of ensuring access to the legal profession for individuals from all backgrounds. She reflected on the privilege of entering a profession dedicated to assisting individuals in times of crisis and upholding the delivery of justice nationwide. The Minister underscored her desire for these opportunities to be accessible to the brightest talent from across the country, irrespective of their background.

Minister Sackman described the initiative as a "major initiative" designed to cultivate the next generation of criminal barristers. She highlighted their indispensable role in maintaining the rule of law and facilitating swifter justice for victims. This perspective frames the funding not merely as financial aid, but as a critical investment in the foundational pillars of the UK's justice system. The focus on diversity and ensuring a robust pipeline of talent for the criminal bar is central to the government's stated objectives for this program.

Chambers operating in legally aided criminal law should assess this new funding initiative for opportunities to expand their pupillage offerings, while noting the explicit requirements for incorporating equal opportunity measures and providing recruitment data for monitoring. This also indicates a strategic government focus on bolstering the criminal bar.

Source: Reporting based on a recent legal sector announcement.