Introduction

 
THE FLBA ETHNIC MINORITIES SUB-COMMITTEE

The Family Law Bar Association has formed an Ethnic Minorities Sub-committee as a result of concerns that the FLBA membership, and the FLBA committee itself, do not reflect the ethnic diversity of barristers practising family law. The FLBA undertakes important work in relation to promoting the interests of the Family Law Bar, and in developing family law and policy. The FLBA is frequently consulted by Government departments.

The FLBA is the second largest specialist Bar association with 1600 members. The committee itself can have between 30 and 50 members at any one time (including former officers and co-opted members). A conservative estimate would suggest that at least ten per cent of FLBA members are from ethnic minorities (no precise information is available). However, it is significant to note that only two members from the ethnic minorities have ever been elected to the FLBA committee ? an organisation that started in the 1960s.

People from ethnic minorities often have different social and cultural values within the family context. Courts now deal with family cases which cover a broad range of racial, cultural and social issues. The FLBA is committed to the need for the voice of ethnic minorities to be heard in the work that it undertakes, and for that to be seen to be the case. The FLBA understands that, like any organisation, it needs to make itself responsive to the needs of the groups it serves and represents. The South Eastern Circuit has similarly identified and addressed this problem, successfully, with greater representation of ethnic minority members on its committee.

The Ethnic Minorities Sub-committee of the FLBA has two main objectives:

· To increase the number of barristers from ethnic minorities on the FLBA committee to a representative level

· To increase the number of barristers from the ethnic minorities joining the FLBA as a whole

The Sub-committee also feels it is important to undertake other related tasks, such as promoting and assisting the careers of FLBA members from the ethnic minorities to achieve better representation among Silks and the Judiciary, providing talks and seminars for BVC students and pupils to encourage them to practice in family law and join the FLBA and to inform ethnic minority FLBA members of the work of the FLBA and the opportunities and facilities it provides for its members.

All this comes at a time when we face a serious challenge to ensure that a strong independent Bar survives for the benefit of the country as a whole. Whilst we are in negotiations with the government, over publicly funded fees in particular, we must ensure that our own house is in order.

To download a .pdf version of the FLBA Ethnic Origin and Gender Monitoring Questionnaire click here