About
Trinity

Trinity Chambers is committed to treating everyone fairly and to creating an inclusive working environment that is open to all and does not discriminate on the grounds of protected characteristics and/or social, economic or educational background or circumstances. In particular, we will not tolerate unlawful discrimination on the grounds of race, sex, disability, pregnancy and maternity, sexual orientation, marital or civil partnership, gender reassignment, age, religion or philosophical belief.

Furthermore, we recognise that workplace diversity is essential to a strong and commercially successful Chambers. For Trinity Chambers, this means the following:-

• Selecting the best barristers and staff from the widest possible pool
• Retaining those barristers and staff for the long-term and supporting their career aspirations
• Ensuring there is no discrimination in the provision of services
• Taking positive action where necessary to create and retain a strong, diverse workforce.

As one of our primary aims is for chambers to be more reflective of the society we serve, we specifically want to encourage applicants from under-represented groups including those who are state-educated, marginalised by race, are female or who have a disability.

Diversity Data Monitoring

The Bar Standards Board Code of Conduct requires all Chambers to collect and publish an anonymised summary of the diversity data relating to its workforce every three years. Our last survey was conducted in Q1 2024 and can be found here.

We use this data to identify the areas in which chambers needs to improve and to create a robust action plan to ensure that Trinity Chambers not only reflects the community we serve but also creates a working environment in which fairness and respect for each other’s differences is at the heart of our decision-making.

The responsibility for delivering our Equality & Diversity policies and procedures lies with our Equality & Diversity Committee.  The members are drawn from a range of practice groups within Chambers and from different levels of seniority and experience from KC to junior tenants. The committee was reconfigured in 2020, with the aim of reviewing and strengthening chambers’ equality and diversity policies and initiatives. This has resulted in the rollout of several training programmes for members and staff, and ongoing innovative and collaborative initiatives to work to address issues impacting the Bar as a whole. This has included a number of community outreach projects with the aim of making our members and our work more visible and better understood, with the ultimate aim of increasing diversity at the Bar.  

For questions relating to our equality and diversity policies or data, please contact Chambers on 0191 232 1927 and we will put you in touch with one of our Equality and Diversity Officers. We also welcome and encourage any suggestions which help us on our learning journey.

Current and Developing initiatives

In addition to regular training, Trinity is taking a number of steps to promote equality and diversity:-

• We regularly review and update our policies to provide as much support as we can to our barristers and staff, e.g. through policies such as shared parental leave and our menopause policy.
• We have introduced systems and processes to regularly monitor income and work distribution by sex and race based on the Bar Council’s Work Distribution Toolkit.
• We are participants in the 10,000 Black Interns project.
• We have a race equality working group in Chambers to identify and address any barriers to race equality.
• Along with BHP Law, we led the roll-out of the Aspiring Advocates’ Programme in the North East in conjunction with colleagues from Dere Street Barristers and Fountain Chambers. In the summer term of 2022, we delivered a 6-week Aspiring Advocates’ Training Programme to Year 10 students at a state school on Teesside. It was designed to spark interest in a career in law for students from communities who are under-represented in the legal profession. Due to the success of the programme, we are rolling it out to other schools.
• Our barristers regularly visit schools to provide informative talks on the profession and also speak at events promoting careers at the Bar for women. 
• Chambers has commissioned and distributed through its website and social media (LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram) various video interviews to celebrate International Women's Day and Black History Month, as well as an interview with The Rt Hon. the Baroness Hale of Richmond DBE regarding the challenges she overcame in her successful career.

At Trinity Chambers, we recognise our duty to do as much as we can to challenge racism and take effective action to promote race equality and fairness, both in our own ranks and the wider community.

With this in mind, Trinity Chambers commits to:-

• Taking positive action to promote race equality in the way we offer work experience opportunities and the way we recruit. This includes programmes such as the Pegasus Access and Support Scheme, the 10,000 Black Interns project and other initiatives.
• Establishing a Race Equality Working Group to identify and address barriers to race equality and to promote positive behaviours based on our core values of equality, fairness and respect.
• Making sure that race equality is an integral part of our Equality and Diversity training for all members and staff.
• Putting systems in place to monitor work and income distribution data in order to identify and address any inequalities that may arise.
• Providing opportunities to access a career in the legal profession through mentoring initiatives and through outreach work in our communities and schools, for example through the Aspiring Advocates’ Programme. This is a programme designed and led by members of Trinity Chambers and BHP Law in conjunction with colleagues from Dere Street Barristers and Fountain Chambers. It is a 6-week programme aimed at Year 10 students in state schools and is designed to spark their interest in justice and to pursue a career in the legal profession. It hopes to inspire young people to find their voice and become strong and effective advocates not just for others but also for themselves.
• Commissioning and distributing a series of in depth interviews to celebrate Black History Month.

For questions relating to our race equality statement, please contact Chambers on 0191 232 1927 and we will put you in touch with one of our Equality and Diversity Officers. We also welcome and encourage any suggestions which help us on our learning journey.

The excellence of legal services is upheld through the mutual support of fellow practitioners in each practice group.

Practitioners may join practice groups, which are based on specific areas of law, once the group has deemed the applicant to be sufficiently trained and competent to uphold the standards of legal practice required by the group.

If an instruction has to be allocated to an alternative barrister, clients can be assured that the clerks will only put forward a barrister of the same practice group, if available, and so ensure that high standards of legal support are maintained.

Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA) cases can be accepted by certain barristers of Trinity Chambers in accordance with the Bar Council's practice procedures.

Trinity Chambers´ comprehensive law library, both in paper and electronic form, ensures that barristers have access to the legal information, including law reports dating back to 1785 (in paper form only!).

Practice groups regularly provide seminars, both open and in-house, to clients whose details are held on our database. These seminars are accredited by the Law Society for CPD.

Conferences can be arranged to suit the client and lay client by being held either in Chambers or at the client's office.

Trinity Chambers´ opening hours are from 08:30 am to 6pm Mondays to Thursdays, and to 5:30pm on Fridays, less Bank Holidays.

Out of hours emergency contact can be made by telephoning 0191 245 0170.

By optimising secure technology, clients can leave messages for a barrister by using that barrister's individual email address (as shown on their profiles), or by leaving a telephone message which will be transferred to the barrister's mobile telephone.

All barristers and clerks are registered for Data Protection by the Commissioner.

Written instructions and briefs will be acknowledged in writing as having been passed to the agreed barrister within one working day of receipt.

Written instructions will be acted upon, and responded to, within 14 days unless an alternative time frame has been requested and agreed upon.

Urgent work will be completed to meet an agreed time scale.

Messages (telephone, faxes and e-mails) will be made available to barristers within one working hour of receipt.

Barristers will return calls to clients as soon as possible.

Clients will be kept informed of any significant changes, conflicts or other developments, and of any delays, promptly.

Only those barristers who have the appropriate seniority and expertise will be put forward by the clerks.

Clients will be informed as soon as possible of any potential difficulty that may result in a barrister not being available to attend a hearing.

All information received by the clerks will be regarded as being confidential in line with Chambers' procedures. Clients are requested to instruct the clerks should any special safeguards be required. Secure storage of particularly sensitive material is available with enhanced security facilities available through the clerks.

At Trinity Chambers, we recognise the importance of price to our professional and lay clients. Our barristers most often charge hourly rates or offer fixed fees for privately funded work. The setting of these rates depends on several factors, including:

• Seniority/expertise of the barrister
• Type of work involved
• Complexity of the case
• Value of the case
• Urgency of the matter
• Preparation time
• Duration of any Court or Tribunal hearing or ADR matter including any conferences 
• Any additional expenses

Ad hoc or one-off pieces of work are likely to be charged on an hourly basis, requests for specific work or representation at Court or Tribunal hearings or ADR matters will be offered at a fixed fee, dependent on your needs. All our fees, hourly rates and fixed fees are subject to VAT.

There may also be additional expenses involved in delivering the work, such as travel and overnight accommodation.

Indicative Prices

• Hourly rates for advice, non-contentious work, Court and Tribunal advocacy range from £125 + vat to £600+ vat.
• Fixed fees: Based on the work you have requested, a quote will be produced and agreed upon before any contract is exchanged and any work commenced.
• Court & Tribunal Trials: You will be quoted for a ‘brief fee’ (preparation and day 1 of trial) and then a ‘refresher’ fee for each day following.
• Any additional expenses such as travel and overnight accommodation, which will always be agreed in advance.
• Clerks will advise in appropriate cases where the fee rates need to be varied depending upon the complexity of the case after consultation with counsel.
• Fee notes will be rendered within seven days of the completion of the work unless otherwise agreed.

Our terms of engagement relate to our barrister’s fees across all of our key practice areas of Crime, Regulatory, Family and Civil Law and apply to hearings listed in the Magistrates Court, County Court, Crown Court, Higher Courts and Tribunals.

To obtain a specific quote please contact the clerks at info@trinitychambers.co.uk

For Direct Access matters (no solicitor involved) please contact fiona@trinitychambers.co.uk
Further information can also be found in the Bar Standards Board's Public Access Guidance for lay clients.

Our fees in privately funded cases fall due to be paid within one month of the fee note unless otherwise agreed or the matter is direct access where fees are generally paid in advance.

In relation to criminal fees, Trinity Chambers adopts the Bar Council's Graduated Fee Payment Protocol.

Since the date of its implementation on 31st January 2013, the barristers at Trinity work under the Standard Conditions of Contract.

Timescales

Each case will vary depending on factors such as barrister availability, court listing times, nature of the case etc. Most written work will be completed around 14 days following instructions unless notified otherwise should the matter be more complex and require additional preparation. You will be notified of the appropriate timescale on the receipt of instructions.

If you have any questions or concerns relating to these arrangements, please do not hesitate to contact Trinity Chambers’ Chief Executive, Tom Prideaux, tom.prideaux@trinitychambers.co.uk.

The aim of the barristers and staff at Trinity Chambers is to provide all our clients with the highest level of service at all times.

If at any point you become unhappy with the service we provide, please tell us as soon as possible so we can do our best to resolve the problem. Details of how to make a complaint are set out below. You are welcome to contact us directly; you do not need to go through a solicitor to make a complaint, though you are free to do so if you wish.

What kind of complaint is this?

Before making a complaint, it may help to know that different bodies deal with different types of concern:

• Service complaints: concerns about the quality or standard of service provided by a barrister or by Chambers — are investigated by us under this procedure, and may be referred to the Legal Ombudsman if unresolved.
• Misconduct: concerns about a barrister's professional conduct or behaviour — should be referred to the Bar Standards Board, which regulates barristers.
• Professional negligence: if you believe a barrister has caused you financial loss through negligent legal advice or representation, this is a legal claim and you should seek independent legal advice.

If you are unsure which category applies, please contact us and we will help direct you.

Complaints made by telephone

You may make a complaint by telephone by contacting Chambers' Chief Executive, Tom Prideaux. If your complaint concerns the Chief Executive, please contact the Chair of the Complaints Panel, Miss Katherine Wood. The person you speak to will make a note of your concerns, discuss them with you and aim to resolve them. If the matter is resolved, we will record the outcome and confirm that you are satisfied. You may also wish to confirm the outcome in writing. If your complaint is not resolved by telephone, you will be invited to put it in writing so it can be investigated formally.

Complaints made in writing

Please address written complaints to Tom Prideaux, Chief Executive, Trinity Chambers. We will acknowledge receipt of your complaint within two working days and confirm how it will be handled. Please set out the following:

• Your name and contact details;
• Which barrister or member of staff you are complaining about;
• The details of your complaint; and
• What outcome you are seeking.

How we investigate

Our Complaints Panel is headed by Miss Katherine Wood and includes experienced barristers and a senior member of staff. Within 14 days of receiving your written complaint, the head of the panel will appoint a member of the panel to investigate. The investigating officer will not be the person you are complaining about.

The investigating officer will write to you promptly to confirm their appointment and to advise that they will provide a full written response within a further 14 days. If that is not possible, they will write to you within that period to explain any delay and set a revised timetable.

We aim to resolve all complaints within eight weeks of receipt. This is the timeframe required by the Bar Standards Board. If we are unable to complete our investigation within eight weeks, we will write to you to explain why. You should be aware that if we have not resolved your complaint within eight weeks, you have the right to refer it to the Legal Ombudsman without waiting for our final response.

The investigating officer's final response will set out: the nature and scope of the investigation; their conclusion on each aspect of the complaint and the reasons for it; and, where the complaint is upheld, their proposals for resolving it.

Confidentiality and data retention

All conversations and documents relating to your complaint will be treated as confidential and disclosed only to the extent necessary. Disclosure will be made to the Head of Chambers, members of our executive board, and those directly involved in the complaint and its investigation — including the barrister or member of staff concerned, the head of the panel, and the investigating officer. The Bar Standards Board is entitled to inspect documents and seek information about complaints when exercising its monitoring functions.

As part of our commitment to client care, we make a written record of every complaint and retain all related documents and correspondence for six years. Our executive board reviews an anonymised record regularly with a view to improving our services.

If we are unable to investigate

In some cases it may not be appropriate for Chambers to investigate a complaint; for example, where the issues raised are better suited to the Bar Standards Board's disciplinary processes. Where this applies, we will tell you following our initial assessment and explain why.

Referring your complaint elsewhere

Legal Ombudsman

If you are unhappy with the outcome of our investigation, or if we have not resolved your complaint within eight weeks, you may refer it to the Legal Ombudsman. The Legal Ombudsman investigates service complaints about lawyers.

Complaints to the Legal Ombudsman should usually be made within one year of the act or omission you are concerned about (or within one year of you becoming aware of it), and within six months of our final response.

The Legal Ombudsman generally accepts complaints from clients. If you are not the barrister's client, the appropriate body is usually the Bar Standards Board. Their contact details are: 

Legal Ombudsman,
PO Box 6806,
Wolverhampton,
WV1 9WJ
Telephone: 0300 555 0333
Email: enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk
Website: www.legalombudsman.org.uk
Decision data: https://www.legalombudsman.org.uk/information-centre/data-centre/ombudsman-decision-data/ 

Bar Standards Board

If your complaint concerns a barrister's professional conduct, or falls outside the Legal Ombudsman's jurisdiction, you may refer it directly to the Bar Standards Board. Their contact details are: 

Bar Standards Board,
Professional Conduct Department,
289-293 High Holborn,
London,
WC1V 7JZ
Telephone: 0207 611 1444
Website: www.barstandardsboard.org.uk

You can also search the Barristers' Register on the BSB website, link here.

Alternative dispute resolution

Alternative dispute resolution may also be available for example through ProMediate (www.promediate.co.uk) or Small Claims Mediation (SCMS) where both you and the barrister agree. Please let us know if you would like to explore this option.