The board estimated that its total running costs would be close to £24 million
The UK Bar Standards Board has requested an above-inflation budget increase for the next year in its 2026-2027 business plan, reported the Law Society Gazette.
The BSB indicated in the report that its estimated total running expenses – which covers its part of the costs of services shared with the UK Bar Council – would be almost £24 million. This marked a 12 percent uptick compared to this year’s £21.141 million total.
Per forecasts, the board is set to earn £19.7 million in income from the practising certificate fee, representing 71.6 percent of the total fees collected. The remaining percentage will be split among the bar council, the legal ombudsman, and the Legal Services Board.
“Our ambition is to reduce the unit costs of our operational work in the coming years and to create a regulatory system that operates effectively,” said Steve Haines, the BSB’s interim director general, in a statement published by the Gazette.
The board outlined four priorities for the year in the business plan; these include bolstering its performance as a regulator, enhancing the profession’s culture, moulding a functional market for barrister services supporting growth, and facilitating success.
As a regulator, the BSB said it intended to accelerate case assessment and investigation and prioritize reducing backlogs. It also planned to improve its end-to-end process for reporting concerns.
By April 2027, the board seeks to bolster confidence in its approach to harassment matters. It also aims to develop a long-term plan for future education and training standards, improve regulatory decisions backed with clear insights.
Moreover, it seeks to implement a robust policy to regulate appropriate entities and provide guidance for safe artificial intelligence and technology adoption.
“We will also improve confidence in our approach to tackling bullying, harassment and sexual harassment, with better experiences for those who report concerns. We will review our overall approach to education and training at the bar to ensure our work here is efficient and effective,” Haines said in a statement published by the Gazette.
He added that the BSB would “seek out opportunities alongside the wider legal services sector in support of the growth ambitions for the UK economy.”
Earlier this month, the UK Office for Legal Complaints sought an 11.1 percent budget hike to address high volumes of complaints. Last year, the UK Solicitors Regulation Authority asked for a 23 percent increase in budget to handle heavy investigation work.
