Barrow Inquiry Papers -
The Committee of Inquiry into Equal Opportunities
at the Inns of Court School of Law
Historical background
The Committee of Inquiry was established in March 1993 "to conduct a wide-ranging investigation into the policies and practices of the Council of Legal Education (CLE) and the Inns of Court School of Law (ICSL). The creation of the Committee was partly in response to a large disparity in pass rates between black and ethnic minority students and white students on the Bar Vocational Course (BVC), uncovered by ethnic monitoring of the 1991/1992 intake, and partly in response to the large body of complaints about the course which had been lodged with the General Council of the Bar, and the CLE itself." (Final Report, Apr 1994, Introduction 3.1 p.8).
Membership and terms of reference
The Inquiry was chaired by Dame Jocelyn Barrow (Deputy Chairman, Broadcasting Standards Council), from whom the short title "Barrow Inquiry" derives. Its members were Ruth Deech (Principal, St Anne's College Oxford), Jo Larbie (Director of Legal Education and Training of the Legal Resources Group), Rajeev Loomba (course leader for the Legal Practice Course, University of Northumbria) and David J Smith (Senior Fellow, Policy Studies Institute).
The Inquiry's terms of reference were to identify the reasons for disparities in the level of performance of ethnic minorities on the BVC from 1991/92, to investigate allegations of racial discrimination and to investigate and make recommendations on teaching, assessment and pastoral care of students and for the further development of an equal opportunities policy by the CLE.
Methodology
The Inquiry employed a number of research methods as follows:
1. Statistical analysis, using as a starting point Dr Christopher Dewberry's
1991/1992 analysis of disparities between white and ethnic minority student pass
rates; the Inquiry conducted further similar surveys and analyses.
2. Qualitative research, including:
- oral hearings of evidence such as interviews with students, staff, assessors,
CLE and General Council of the Bar members;
- written submissions from interested parties;
- comments from students, followed by an analysis by Dr Robin Oakley.
3. Direct observation of teaching and assessment.
4. Collection and analysis of teaching materials relating to the BVC.
5. Following the Interim Report of September 1993, provision of a formal
submission from the ICSL/CLE on teaching, assessment and pastoral care.
6. Consideration of the complaints of 29 individual students.
7. Comparison of the BVC with other jurisdictions, in the UK and abroad.
Barrow Inquiry Papers at IALS
The records listed below comprise papers transferred to the Records of Legal Education Archives at IALS by Mrs Ruth Deech, Principal of St Anne's College, Oxford, and a member of the Inquiry team. They do not comprise the official papers of the Inquiry, which are held elsewhere, and do not form a complete set. They do include the bulk of the material collected by the various methods outlined above. The class list attempts to mirror the methodology of the Inquiry as closely as possible, whilst still adhering to any existing filing and numbering systems employed during the Inquiry (document numbers allocated by the Inquiry are noted in bold type in the Handlist). Certain information, such as the oral submissions and individual questionnaire, is not extant, due to guarantees of confidentiality. One or two other documents are also missing from the archive; where this is the case it is noted in the handlist by the use of the archival term "wanting".
Most secondary source material collected during the Inquiry, such as information comparing the BVC with other jurisdictions, is not included in the papers but is listed in the Final Report. The Final Report of the Committee (Equal Opportunities at the Inns of Court School of Law: the Final Report of the Committee of Inquiry into Equal Opportunities on the Bar Vocational Course, published April 1994) will be found at A.BARR 16 in the archive, as well as in most law libraries, including the IALS Library.
|
BARROW ARCHIVES: CLASS LIST |
CLASS LIST
| Ref | Dates | Description |
|
1993-1994 |
Terms of reference and background to Inquiry |
|
|
1993 |
Direct observations of teaching and assessment |
|
|
1992-1993 |
Background information collected by the Inquiry |
|
|
1991-1994 |
Information on admissions policy and procedures |
|
|
1993 |
Student questionnaire |
|
|
1990-1993 |
Information on assessment and review |
|
|
1990-1992 |
Information on course content |
|
|
1992-1993 |
Documents relating to staff training |
|
|
1989-1994 |
Documents relating to student welfare |
|
|
1991-1992 |
Collection and analysis of teaching materials - course outlines, practical training excercises and instructors' teaching packs |
|
|
1991-1992 |
Collection and analysis of teaching materials - ICSL manuals |
|
|
1990-1993 |
Collection and analysis of teaching materials - printed material |
|
|
1993 |
Consideration of complaints of individual students |
|
|
1993 |
Interim Report of the Committee of Inquiry |
|
|
[1993] |
CLE/ICSL response to the Interim Report |
|
|
1994 |
Final Report of the Committee of Inquiry |
BARROW ARCHIVES: HANDLIST OF RECORDS
A.BARR 1: TERMS OF REFERENCE AND BACKGROUND TO THE INQUIRY,
1993-1994
5 folders
This is an artificial class created from miscellaneous loose papers which do not clearly fit into any of the classes listed below.
Ref Dates Description
A.BARR 1/1 [1993] Independent Equal Opportunities Inquiry - draft terms of reference & membership
A.BARR 1/2 [1993] Membership list and c.v.s of members of the Barrow Inquiry
A.BARR 1/3 4 Mar 1994 "Student perceptions of racial discrimination at the CLE" - a paper prepared for the Barrow Inquiry by Dr Robin Oakley [draft]
A.BARR 1/4 7 Mar 1994 Letter from Philip A Jones, University of Sheffield, Faculty of Law, to Dame Jocelyn, with thoughts on the CLE
A.BARR 1/5 n.d. Paper titled "Submission by ICSL to Inquiry into Equal Opportunities on the Bar Vocational Course - Annex Y: History of the New Vocational Course" [possibly extracted from A7 CLE response to the Interim Report - see A.BARR 3/2]
A.BARR 2: DIRECT OBSERVATIONS OF TEACHING AND ASSESSMENT,
1993
4 folders
Observation of classes and assessment techniques was a major research method of the Inquiry members. The papers in this class are therefore related closely to the documents on assessment collected by the Inquiry members which may be found in A.BARR 6.
Ref Dates Description
A.BARR 2/1 24 May - 30 Papers relating to BVC final assessments,
(Pts 1-2) June 1993 with covering letters to Inquiry members inviting them to attend
A.BARR 2/2 29 Apr - 22 Observations of Inquiry members on Sept 1993 classes and training at CLE
A.BARR 2/3 [1993] Document entitled "Teaching and academic support", containing Inquiry members' observations on classes from Apr - May 1993 [last pages missing]
A.BARR 3: BACKGROUND INFORMATION COLLECTED BY THE INQUIRY,
1992-1993
2 folders
These papers were listed by Inquiry staff under the prefix "A". They were numbered A1-7, with a list of contents and a quantity of material at the beginning of the file containing unnumbered documents "already circulated" (see A.BARR 3/1).
Ref Dates Description
A.BARR 3/1 1992-1993 List of contents and copies of material previously circulated to Inquiry members: - Dr Christopher Dewberry, "Report on the relative pass rates of white and ethnic minority students examined for the 1991-92 vocational course for intending practitioners", [Dewberry Report 1992]
- Dr Dewberry, "A further analysis of the relative pass rates of white and ethnic minority students examined for the 1991-92 vocational course for intending practitioners" [Dewberry Report 1993]
- Public statements by Society of Black Lawyers, 20 Oct 1992 [wanting]
- Council of Legal Education's responses to statements by Society of Black Lawyers, Dec 1992
- Letters from Commission for Racial Equality to CLE, 21 Dec 1992
A.BARR 3/2 1992-1993 Background information, numbered A1-A7:-
A1 Questions to the CLE from the Chairman of the Race Relations Committee of the General Council of the Bar, 28 Oct 1992
A2 Response to questions from Bar Council Race Relations Committee [2 copies, second copy incomplete and annotated]
A3 General Council of the Bar: AGM speech by the Hon Mr Justice Phillips, 31 Oct 1992
A4 background notes from the CLE [wanting]
A5 General Council of the Bar, Equality Code for Chambers, May 1993
A6 1992/1993 pass rates [possibly wanting, but a document entitled "CLE Students 1991/2 and 1992/3: main conclusions from a new analysis of their results" was located which may be A6]
A7 CLE response to the Interim Report [wanting from this file, but extant at A.BARR 15]
A.BARR 4: INFORMATION ON ADMISSIONS POLICY AND PROCEDURE,
1991-1994
1 folder
These documents were given the numbers B1-B14.
Ref Dates Description
A.BARR 4 1991-1994 List of documents numbered B1-B14:-
B1 Application form 1991/1992 [wanting]
B2 Application form 1992/1993; 1993/1994
B3 Notes on admission procedure for the BVC 1993/1994
B4 Letters from Society of Black Lawyers on the subject of entrance procedures to the BVC, 16 May - 9 July 1992
B5 Letters from the CLE on the subject of entrance procedures to the BVC, 10 May - 4 June 1992
B6 Note on CR58 Committee 1992/1993, including criteria where ethnicity is used as a basis for special treatment
B7 Note on Selection Procedure to be introduced for admission to 1994/1995 BVC
B8 Letter from Peter Herbert to CLE on the subject of Admissions Procedures, 26 June 1992
B9 "Why am I being asked to take a test?" [published by The Psychological Corporation, USA, 1991]
B10 Booklet of tests [published by the Psychological Corporation, USA, 1990]
B11 Birkbeck College: Selection of Students for the ICSL, 6 Sept 1991
B12 Letter from Richard Williams to Lee Winetroube at the General Council of the Bar, 2 Oct 1992
B13 Correspondence with Dr Robin Oakley [wanting]
B14 Selection for the 1994/95 Vocational Course, 6 Jan 1994
A.BARR 5: STUDENT QUESTIONNAIRE, 1993
2 folders
Another research method of the Inquiry was to create a questionnaire for students on the BVC 1992/1993. The questionnaire papers were given the prefix "C". The questionnaire themselves are not extant, but statistics, analyses and comments have survived and are listed below
Ref Dates Description
A.BARR 5/1 2 June 1993 Copy of questionnaire, covering letter, comments and analysis of students' survey
A.BARR 5/2 [1993] C1 Student questionnaire - module option responses
A.BARR 6: INFORMATION ON ASSESSMENT AND REVIEW, 1990-1993
5 folders
These papers were numbered D1-D21. Related papers and correspondence are in A.BARR 2.
Ref Dates Description
A.BARR 6/1 1991-1993 Contents list
Assessment and review papers D1-D3:-
D1 Assessment Regulations 1991/92
D2 Assessment Regulations 1992/93 [amendments to 1991/2 Regulations]
D3 Instructions to Assessors (In-course), 1991-1992
A.BARR 6/2 1990-1993 Papers D4-D6:-
D4 Instructions to Assessors (Final Assessment), 1992-1993
D5 Guidelines for the exercise of discretion adopted by the Board of Examiners, 1990/91; 1991/92
D6 Notes on the 1991/1992 Guidelines prepared by Adriane Keane, 17 Dec 1992
A.BARR 6/3 1990-1993 Papers D7-D13:-
D7 Table for conversion of marks, 1990-1992
D8 Review Board minutes, 19 Sept 1991
D9 Review Board minutes, 17-18 Sept 1992
D10 Report to Board of Examiners on 1992 Review, 17-18 Sept 1992
D11 Outline of Formal Assessment and Review Processes on the BVC, 1993
D12 Multiple choice tests - resits, 10 July 1992
D13 Assessment Feed-Back reports
A.BARR 6/4 1991-1993 Papers D14-D18:-
D14 Ethnic monitoring of In-course assessments 1992/93 and the first MCT
D15 The role and powers of the Review Board
D16 guidelines for condonation and resits [no number on document]
D17 Re-assessment records, 1991-1992
D18 Advocacy Final Assessment - Advocacy Skills 1992/93 - assessors' pack
A.BARR 6/5 1991-1993 Papers D19-D21:-
D19 Membership of the Board of Examiners, 1991-1993
D20 Resits, 1991-1992
D21 Notes for Assessors' Meeting, 6 Nov 1993
A.BARR 7: INFORMATION ON COURSE CONTENT, 1990-1992
1 folder
access: open
Documents numbered I.1-I.3.
Ref Dates Description
A.BARR 7 1990-1992 Contents list
I.1 Developing Vocational Legal Training for the Bar - Shapland I, 1990
I.2 Evaluating the New Vocational Course at the Council of Legal Education - Shapland II, 1990 & 1991
I.3 Pupillage and the Vocational Course - Shapland III, July 1992
A.BARR 8: DOCUMENTS RELATING TO STAFF TRAINING, 1992-1993
1 folder
Documents numbered J1-J8.
Ref Dates Description
A.BARR 8 1992-1993 Contents list
J1 Discussion paper for CORD from the Discrimination Awareness Group (DAG), Feb 9 1993
J2 Discrimination Awareness Sub Committee - meeting 16 Nov 1992 - terms of reference
J3 Questionnaire
J4 Questionnaire of practitioners
J5 Information from Questionnaire - DAG workshop, 25 Feb 1993
J6 Information from Practitioner Questionnaire
J7 A report for consideration on the development of discrimination awareness training, May 2 1993
J8 Update on progress of the DAG Action Sub Committee
A.BARR 9: DOCUMENTS RELATING TO STUDENT WELFARE, 1989-1994
2 folders
Documents numbered K1-K35.
Ref Dates Description
A.BARR 9/1 1989-1994 Contents list
Documents K1-K20
K1 Financing for the New Entrant Committee - first report, July 1992
K2 Finance for the New Entrant - questionnaire, 30 Nov 1992
K3 Finance for new entrants to the Bar, 1 Sept 1992
K4 Student grants - tuition fees, 1989-1993
K5 Philip A Thomas, "The Poverty of Students", The Law Teacher, June 1993
K6 Ethnic minority performance on the BVC, 1993
K7 Inner Temple student sponsorship scheme
K8 Inner Temple admission forms checklist
K9 Inner Temple scholarships, awards and prizes
K10 Inner Temple scholarship application form
K11 Inns of Court and CLE - notes to form AE2 [admission form]
K12 The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple - Handbook
K13 The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple - Scholarships and Prizes
K14 The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple - admissions notes and application forms
K15 Middle Temple scholarships 1991, 1992, 1993
K16 The Honourable Society of Lincoln's Inn - admission notes and application forms
K17 The Honourable Society of Lincoln's Inn - scholarship application form 1994/5
K18 The Honourable Society of Lincoln's Inn - application form for Hardwicke Entrance Awards
K19 Lincoln's Inn scholarships 1994/95
K20 The Honourable Society of Lincoln's Inn - Students' Handbook
A.BARR 9/2 1989-1994 Documents K21-K35
K21 The Honourable Society of Gray's Inn - Information for Students
K22 the Honourable Society of Gray's Inn - scholarships and awards
K23 Minutes of the meeting of the Scholarships Sub-committee which interviewed Junior Award candidates on 19 and 20 June 1992
K24 Accommodation in London
K25 Gray's Inn - admission procedure
K26 Gray's Inn - mooting programme
K27 Some Customs of Gray's Inn Hall, Sept 1992
K28 Gray's Inn - dining arrangements
K29 The Honourable Society of the Inner Temple - scholarships and bursaries awarded in 1992
K30 Analysis of the Four Inns Members, 1989-1992
K31 Pilot for the Mini-Sponsorship Scheme, 16 May - 13 July 1993
K32 The Honourable Society of Lincoln's Inn Students' Union - "Allegations of racial discrimination at the CLE", 5 Mar 1993
K33 "Behind the Bar" - Bar School Alternative Prospectus 1993
K34 Discrimination Awareness Sub-committee reports, 1993-1994
K35 The BVC - "The Voluntary Programme 1993-4"
A.BARR 10: COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS OF TEACHING MATERIALS
- COURSE OUTLINES, PRACTICAL TRAINING EXERCISES AND INSTRUCTORS' TEACHING PACKS,
1991-1992
3 boxes
This material was originally a mass of unnumbered and unlisted bundles, in no particular order, each bundle containing a different type of outline or exercise. They cover the period 1991/92. One file number has been allocated to each original bundle.
Ref Dates Description
A.BARR 10/1 n.d. ICSL Chancery module: conveyancing and real property: introduction and exercises CARP2-CARP11
A.BARR 10/2 1991 Company law module: company law - practical training exercises C1-C7
A.BARR 10/3 1991 General practice module: employment law option - background papers and practical training exercises E1-E3
A.BARR 10/4 1991 General practice module: family law - background papers and practical training exercises F1-F6
A.BARR 10/5 1991 Law of international trade - course outline and practical training exercises I1-I5
A.BARR 10/6 1991 General practice and Chancery modules: landlord and tenant - practical training exercises L1-L10
A.BARR 10/7 1991 General practice/commercial module - lecture handouts and practical training exercises S1-S7
A.BARR 10/8 1991 Chancery module: trusts, wills and taxation - course outline and practical training exercises T1-T3
A.BARR 10/9 1991 Practical training exercises X1-X6, X9-X11, X13 (conference skills; negotiation; casework skills; opinion writing; drafting; advocacy)
A.BARR 10/10 1991 Practical training exercises X14-X24 (opinion writing; drafting; advocacy; conference skills; negotiation; casework skills)
A.BARR 10/11 1991 Practical training exercises X25-X28, X30, X32-X35, X37 (opinion writing; drafting; advocacy; casework skills; conference skills; negotiation)
A.BARR 10/12 1991 Practical training exercises X38-X40, X42-X50 (advocacy; conference skills; negotiation; casework skills; opinion writing; drafting)
A.BARR 10/13 1992 Casework skills and drafting:
- Practical training exercise X47
- Family law: practical training exercise F2
- Company law: practical training exercise C4
- Landlord and tenant: practical training exercise L4
A.BARR 10/14 1991/92 Instructors' teaching packs:
- Criminal litigation
- Civil litigation
- Evidence
- Advocacy skills
- Drafting
- EC competition law
A.BARR 11: COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS OF TEACHING MATERIALS
- ICSL MANUALS, 1991-1992
2 boxes
access: open
This class consists of manuals produced by the CLE in conjunction with the BVC, published 1991/2 by Blackstone Press Ltd.
Ref Dates Description
A.BARR 11/1 1991/92 - Criminal Litigation & Sentencing
- Chancery Practice
- General Practice
- Commercial Practice
- Opinion Writing & Drafting
A.BARR 11/2 1991/92 - Evidence & Casework Skills
- Professional Conduct & Practical Background
- Advocacy, Negotiation & Conference Skills
- Civil Litigation & Remedies
A.BARR 12: COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS OF TEACHING MATERIALS
- PRINTED MATERIAL, 1990-1993
1 folder
access: open, with the exception of the ICSL Handbooks
This class consists of printed papers, including published material, mostly relating to the BVC.
Ref Dates Description
A.BARR 12 1990-1993 Papers:
- ICSL, The Vocational Course Handbook, Academic Session 1990-91
- ICSL, The Vocational Course Handbook, Academic Session 1991-92
- ICSL, The Vocational Course Handbook, Academic Session 1992-93
- ICSL, The Vocational Course Handbook, Academic Session 1993-94
- CLE, The Consolidated Regulations of the Honourable Societies of Lincoln's Inn, Inner Temple, Middle Temple and Gray's Inn, CLE, London, 1991
- CLE, Training for the Bar, London, n.d.
- J Shapland, V Johnston and R Wild, Studying for the Bar, Institute for the Study of the Legal Profession, Faculty of Law, University of Sheffield, 1993
- The General Council of the Bar, The Bar Council Directory, 1993
A.BARR 13: CONSIDERATION OF COMPLAINTS OF INDIVIDUAL
STUDENTS, 1993
1 folder
As part of its methodology, the Committee of Inquiry considered the specific complaints of 29 students in oral hearings before a Panel of the Committee. These hearings are not extant, but a petition to HM Judges sitting as visitors to the Inns of Court, presented by five students who had failed the 1992 Bar examination, survives and has been placed in this class. The judges' comments are included.
Ref Dates Description
A.BARR 13 11 Mar 1993 Appeal to HM Judges sitting as the visitors to the Inns of Court in the matter of the conduct and assessment of the Bar examination 1992 [2 copies]
A.BARR 14: INTERIM REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE OF INQUIRY,
1993
1 vol
access: open
Ref Dates Description
A.BARR 14 Sept 1993 Committee of Inquiry into Equal Opportunities on the Bar Vocational Course: Interim Report
A.BARR 15: CLE/ICSL RESPONSE TO THE INTERIM REPORT,
n.d.
2 folders
Following publication of the Interim Report, the CLE/ICSL provided the Committee with a submission relating to the Committee's findings on teaching, assessment and pastoral care of students. The undated documents below may form part or the whole of this submission.
Ref Dates Description
A.BARR 15/1 n.d. Interim Report: Notes on Chapters 4, 5 & 6
A.BARR 15/2 n.d. Response to Barrow Inquiry - Supplementary Material:
- Assessment Regulations 1990/91
- Course Director's Termly Report 1989/90 to date
- Draft response to LCAC on implications of multi-cultural society
- Further material on student finances
- The General Council of the Bar, Without Prejudice? Sex Equality at the Bar and in the Judiciary, Nov 1992
A.BARR 16: FINAL REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE OF INQUIRY,
1994
1 vol
access: open
Ref Dates Description
A.BARR 16 Apr 1994 Final Report of the Committee of Inquiry into Equal Opportunities on the Bar Vocational Course
You can search records for the Barrow Inquiry papers on the SHLs Archives Database.
Access is by prior appointment. (Email: ials@sas.ac.uk or telephone 020 7862 5790)
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