Third Stage – Bar Council’s consideration of any other relevant matters & exercise of its discretion

Provided that:

a) all administrative requirements are met as set out above; and
b) the Council is of the opinion that the matter has reasonable prospects of success; then

the Council will consider any other relevant factors (such as whether the conduct of the case would be in the public interest or the general nature of the matter with particular regard to any risk to a person’s liberty) prior to deciding whether to exercise its discretion in favour of the applicant by facilitating the referral of the applicant to an appropriate member of the Bar.

What happens if the application for referral is refused?

If referral assistance is not granted, any supporting documentation provided in support of the application will be returned to the applicant.

What happens if the application for referral is successful?

In the event that the Council exercises its discretion in favour of the applicant to the effect that referral assistance should be granted, LARS will take reasonable steps to find a barrister prepared to provide an advice as to the prospects of success or legal merit of the matter.