BTAS Sanctions Guidance 2022

The Bar Tribunals and Adjudication Service has published Version 6 of the Sanctions Guidance to come into effect on 1 January 2022. It is applicable to all sanction decisions taken on or after that date:

BTAS Sanctions Guidance Version 6 – January 2022

The main changes since the fifth edition are:

• A clearer and more structured approach to deciding the appropriate sanction
• Revised levels for fines and suspensions
• New “Misconduct Groups” for particular types of behaviour
• Revised ranges for particular sanctions; in particular, the lower end of the range for “Misconduct of a sexual nature” and for “Discrimination, non-sexual harassment and bullying” has been increased to 12 months suspension.

This version of the Sanctions Guidance stems from an extensive review of disciplinary cases and the sanctions imposed by other professional regulators and careful consideration of the responses to two consultations. BTAS is very grateful for the ten responses received to the second consultation. BTAS’s summary of and response to those responses can be found here:

BTAS Second Sanctions Consultation Response Paper

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