Kirsty Brimelow KC begins term as Bar Council chair in historic first

Kirsty Brimelow KC begins her term as chair of the Bar Council, leading its first all-female team

Kirsty Brimelow KC has taken up her post as chair of the Bar Council, beginning a one-year term from 1 January 2026 and leading the first all-female senior leadership team in the organisation’s history.

Brimelow succeeds Barbara Mills KC as chair of the representative body for barristers in England and Wales. She will lead a leadership team that includes Heidi Stonecliff KC of the Crown Prosecution Service as vice chair, Lucinda Orr of Enyo Law as treasurer, and Amelia Clegg of BCL Solicitors as chair of the Young Barristers Committee.

Brimelow practises from Doughty Street Chambers and works across criminal, international and public law. She was called to the bar in 1991 and was appointed Queen’s Counsel in 2011, now designated King’s Counsel. In 2021, she was appointed a deputy High Court judge in the Kings Bench Division and became a recorder the following year.

Her appointment follows a prominent period of leadership within the Criminal Bar Association. Between 2021 and 2023, Brimelow served first as vice chair and then as chair during a period of sustained protest action by criminal barristers. During that time, she was closely involved in negotiations with the government that resulted in an increase in legal aid fees.

Brimelow is due to deliver her inaugural address as Bar Council chair on Monday, 12 January. In that speech, she will outline her priorities for the year ahead. She is expected to continue the Bar Council’s opposition to government proposals to limit the use of jury trials, while also advocating for increased investment across all areas of the justice system.

She is also expected to place particular emphasis on the position of children within the justice system, an issue the council has previously identified as requiring greater scrutiny and reform.

Speaking about her appointment, Brimelow said it was both an honour and a responsibility to serve the profession as chair of the Bar Council. She said she would draw on her experience across multiple jurisdictions to address challenges facing barristers and those who deliver and access justice.

She added that her approach would focus on leadership marked by courage and kindness, while ensuring that the Bar continues to engage constructively with government and other stakeholders on issues affecting the justice system.