Public Access

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Doughty Street Chambers now has a number of barristers who are licensed to accept Direct Public Access instructions.

What is Public Access?

The Public Access scheme has been introduced to increase access to the legal system by the public. It is part of a wider scheme to make it easier and more economical for the general public to access legal advice.
Following changes in 2004, members of the public have been able to instruct barristers directly for legal advice and representation without having to go through a solicitor or another intermediary professional first. This is called Public Access.

What are the benefits?

Barristers can still undertake the same work for you as they did previously however under the public access scheme, you can take responsibility for the preliminary work normally done by a solicitor or other professional, in order to engage and deal directly with your barrister.

Public Access enables you to save money by not also having to engage a solicitor, allows you to approach a specific barrister of your choice who is licensed to undertake Public Access instructions, and can improve the service level you receive in terms of communication, by not having to go through a third party on each occasion.

What we can offer

Doughty Street Chambers are committed to an undisputed reputation for excellence, providing a service that is efficient, responsive and accessible.
Public Access allows our licensed barristers to undertake the following directly:

• provide you with expert legal advice
• assist you to draft correspondence
• help to draft statements from litigants and witnesses
• advise you on suitable experts and draft instructions to expert witnesses
• offer you advice on the next steps to be taken in proceedings
• draft formal court documents

Our barristers cannot however:

• issue court documents on your behalf
• contact witnesses or collect and investigate evidence
• instruct an expert witness on your behalf
• correspond with the other side on your behalf

Each of our barristers must strictly adhere to the Bar Code of Conduct and as such, if in reviewing your case the barrister considers that a solicitor should be instructed in your own interests or for another professional reason, the barrister will advise you of this and will no longer be able to act for you other than on the instructions of a solicitor. Should this situation arise, the barrister will advise you of it as soon as possible.
This may also be the case in the event that your case would be suitable for public funding.

How to contact us

If your enquiry is related to a criminal matter, please contact Chambers on 020 7404 1313 and request to speak to a clerk on the criminal team. If your enquiry is not crime related but is otherwise urgent please contact chambers and ask to speak to a clerk on the civil team. Please state that this is a direct access matter.

In all other matters, please contact us by completing this form. This can be submitted by e mail to enquiries@doughtystreet.co.uk, by fax to 0207 404 2283 or by post to Doughty Street Chambers, 53-54 Doughty Street, London WC1N 2LS Attn: Direct Access.

If you do not have access to a printer and would like us to send you a form, please e mail us at enquiries@doughtystreet.co.uk with your postal address for us to send this to.
For a Microsoft Office Word version of this form, please click here.

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