Information

2KBW Chambers
The Chambers of Matthew Farmer and Russell Pyne

• Email
  • Crime Team: crime@2kbw.com
  • Family Law Team: family@2kbw.com
  • Civil Law Team: civil@2kbw.com
• Contractual terms

  With effect from 31st January 2021 the contractual terms upon which 2KBW undertake work are set out in The Standard Contractual Terms for the Supply of Legal Services by Barristers to Authorised Persons 2020.

  Download the Standard Terms

  If you have a query over the contract terms, or if you feel they are not appropriate for your particular case, please contact the Senior Clerk, Daren Milton. We may be able to arrange for alternative terms to be put in place depending on the circumstances of a particular case.

• Equality & diversity

  Equality and Diversity Policy

  Chambers is committed to eliminating discrimination and promoting equality and diversity in its own policies, practices and procedures and in those areas in which it has influence. This applies to Chambers’ dealings with members of Chambers (which in this policy shall include the Chambers’ employees), pupils, clients and third parties.

  Chambers will treat everyone equally and with the same attention, courtesy and respect and will not discriminate against any person, nor victimise or harass them on the grounds of:

  • age
  • disability
  • gender, to include trans, non-binary, and gender-fluid
  • marriage and civil partnership
  • pregnancy and maternity
  • race
  • religion or belief
  • sex and sexual orientation

  Chambers will take such steps and make such reasonable adjustments as are necessary in all the circumstances in order to prevent any members of Chambers and clients from being placed at a substantial disadvantage in comparison with those who are not disabled.

  Full policy

  Regulation and legislation

  In implementing its equality and diversity policy, Chambers will comply with the Equality Act 2010 and the Bar Standards Board Handbook.

  Barristers

  Barristers should be instructed on the basis of their skills, experience and ability. Members of Chambers will not, on any of the prohibited grounds referred to above, encourage or discourage a client from briefing a barrister. Clients’ requests for a named barrister should be complied with, subject to Chambers’ duty to discuss with the client the suitability of the barrister and to advise appropriately. Chambers will discuss with the client any request by the client that only a barrister who is (for example) not disabled or who is of a particular gender (including trans, non-binary, and gender-fluid), marital status, race, racial group, colour, ethnic or national origin, nationality, religion or belief, age, or sexual orientation be instructed. In the absence of a valid reason for this request, which must be within any exemptions permitted by the anti-discrimination legislation, Chambers will endeavour to persuade the client to modify their instructions insofar as they are given on discriminatory grounds. Should the client refuse to modify such instructions, Chambers will cease to act.

  Clients

  Chambers (including members) must not refuse to accept instructions from clients based upon any of the prohibited grounds referred to above. Chambers will take reasonable steps to meet the different needs of particular clients arising from its obligations under anti-discrimination legislation.

  Promoting equality and diversity

  Chambers is committed to promoting equality and diversity in Chambers as well as in those areas in which it has influence. Members of Chambers will be informed of this policy and employees will be provided with equality and diversity training appropriate to their needs and responsibilities.

• Health & wellbeing

  Chambers aspires to be both a good employer and create a safe environment for work and practice. We aim to encourage and facilitate working practices and services that support the health and well-being of all staff, pupils and barristers.

  Work can have a positive impact on our health and well-being. Healthy and well-motivated barristers and staff members have an equally positive impact on the productivity and effectiveness of Chambers. Fostering a working environment that protects the physical and mental well-being of its people is good for Chambers’ business.

  Our Well-Being policy provides a framework within which Chambers encourages and facilitates working practices and services that support well-being. It aims to draw upon good practice, recognising informal support arrangements particularly among barristers, and to be flexible rather than prescriptive.

  Work-life balance

  Chambers acknowledges and seeks to raise awareness that because barristers are self-employed there is an assumption that they have control of their work-life balance. However, the very fact of being self-employed adds pressures that are not experienced by employees. The desire to maintain a busy practice, to keep clerks, solicitors and other members of Chambers happy can result in taking on too much work. This can seriously upset work-life balance and may lead to unhealthy work-related stress.

  Chambers operates flexible working and is supportive of providing adjustments, for short reviewable periods where the barrister feels that this is appropriate for them to manage their work life balance. Chambers recognises the importance of taking regular breaks from practise and encourages an open dialogue between barristers and clerks and between clerks and the Management Committee over this.

  There is substantial evidence that a flexible approach to working patterns can have significant organisational benefits, including reduced absenteeism, improved morale, loyalty and greater productivity. There are many different ways of structuring working patterns and Chambers will consider reasonable requests from staff members for part-time working; flexible working hours; compressed working hours; annualised hours; job sharing; working at or from home.

  Mental well-being

  Mental ill health and stress are associated with many of the leading causes of disease and disability in our society. Promoting and protecting the mental well-being of people in Chambers is important for individuals’ physical health, social well-being and productivity.  2KBW Chambers aims to develop a supportive culture, address factors that may negatively affect mental well-being, and to develop management skills. We will provide support for staff, pupils and barristers experiencing mental health difficulties.  This policy is to be read in conjunction with the constitution and the Equality & Diversity Policy which includes Chambers parental leave policy.

  Chambers arranges training events to support this policy for both new pupils, new practitioners, clerks and other staff joining 2KBW Chambers and seeks to review the effective implementation and support of this policy amongst its membership and employees.

  Menopause

  2KBW Chambers recognises the need to break the taboo around the menopause and support any practitioners and clerks who are affected by it. 2KBW Chambers is committed to creating an atmosphere in which individuals feel they can ask for help.

  2KBW Chambers understands that the menopause affects everyone differently, and that support needs to be based on the needs of the individual.

  Full policy

• CBA work / diversity & social mobility

  2KBW hosted the WICL pupillage evening on 10^th January 2024 and our members Grace Ong and Pupil Jackalyn Chan spoke at the event.

  Grace Ong and Richard Hutchings are members of the Criminal Bar Social Mobility Committee which regularly provides speakers and volunteers for outreach events and interviews for the CBA bursary.

  Grace Ong regularly speaks at mentoring events and is often called upon to speak at events e.g. Anti-Racism at the Bar – Inner Temple 2019, The National Black Crown Prosecutors’ Association annual conference on 20/5/22. She sits on the CPS Bar diversity panel.

  Our members – Grace Ong, Josh Happé, Pupils Jack Furness and Lily Hines volunteered at the last Bar Council Pupillage Fair in October 2023 and manned the CBA stand and were joined in the afternoon by one of our Heads of Chambers, Russell Pyne.

  CBA Wellbeing Protocol – Criminal Bar Association

• Feedback

  Chambers welcomes any feedback you may have. Your feedback is important to ensure that we maintain the highest standards. You are encouraged to return our easy-to-use online form.

  Feedback form

  Feedback forms are reviewed every month by the Heads of Chambers and/or Members of the Management Committee of Chambers. Your comments will be treated seriously and with respect. Where requested a response will be provided following an investigation into any of the matters you might raise.

• Complaints

  If you do have a complaint about any aspect of the service provided by Chambers, please use our online complaints form.

  Complaints form

  Your complaint will be treated seriously and with respect. Complaint forms are referred immediately to the Heads of Chambers and/or a senior member of the Management Committee. Following investigation, you will always be sent a response which sets out the findings and any proposed corrective action. Complaints will be acknowledged within 72 hours hours of their receipt and will be dealt with according to Chambers’ Policies and Procedures. The deadline within which complaints must be brought is 3 months from the conclusion of your case.

  We hope that you will use our procedure to resolve any outstanding issues. However if you are unhappy with the outcome, you have the choice of taking up your complaint with the Bar Standards Board or Legal Ombudsman.

  Chambers are regulated by the Bar Standards Board, and you can visit their website and register any complaint with them by following the link below:

  www.barstandardsboard.org.uk

  Alternatively, you can write to the Bar Standards Board at:

  Bar Standards Board
  289-293, High Holborn
  London WC1V 7HZ

  The Legal Ombudsman will also help with any complaints you might have and they can be contacted on the following link enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk or in writing to:

  The Office of the Legal Ombudsman
  PO Box 6167
  Slough SL1 0EH

• Regulatory

  Barristers in chambers are regulated by the Bar Standards Board.  See the Barristers’ Register on the Bar Standards Board’s website.

  This shows whether a barrister  has a current practising certificate  and whether a barrister has any disciplinary findings, which are published on the Bar Standard Board’s website in accordance with their policy.

  You can also contact the Bar Standards Board on 020 7611 1444 or email contactus@barstandardsboard.org.uk