Careers

Barristers

A Barrister (Avocat)

• Barristers are specialists in advocacy and represent individuals or organisations in court. They’re independent sources of legal advice and can advise clients on their cases.
• In civil matters, Barristers are hired by Attorneys (Avoués) to represent a case in court and only become involved once advocacy before a court is needed.
• As a Barrister, you’ll plead the case on behalf of your client in Court. Members of the public can also go directly to a barrister to ask for advice and representation in court.
• Many barristers work on a self-employed basis, while others work in government departments such as the Office of Director of Public Prosecutions and the Attorney General’s Office.
• An increasing number of employed Barristers work in private and public organisations.
• If you’re self-employed you’ll work in offices called chambers, where you could have your own office or share one with other Barristers.

LAW PRACTITIONERS VOCATIONAL COURSE (LPVC)

To qualify as a Barrister in Mauritius, you must complete the LPVC.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS TO QUALIFY AS A BARRISTER IN MAURITIUS

• Candidates should hold an LLB (Hons) with at least a Second Class, Second Division or
  a Maîtrise en Droit/Masters 1 (Mention: Assez Bien)
• or a law degree or other qualifications deemed acceptable by the Council for Vocation
  Legal Education.

COUNCIL FOR VOCATIONAL LEGAL EDUCATION INSTRUCTIONS FOR BARRISTERS’ AND ATTORNEYS’ EXAMINATION, 2022

The Examinations will consist of:

• FIVE (5) written papers;
• and an oral test in Advocacy.

DURATION of written paper: 3 Hours

Subjects:
PAPER I – CONSTITUTIONAL LAW AND ADMINISTRATIVE LAW
PAPER II – CIVIL PROCEDURE
PAPER III – CRIMINAL PROCEDURE
PAPER IV – EVIDENCE
PAPER V – DRAFTING AND OPINION WRITING
PAPER VI – ADVOCACY

• Candidates will be expected to deal with Ethical issues applicable to the relevant branches of the legal profession in any of the Papers.
• Questions in all the FIVE WRITTEN PAPERS may be in one or more PARTS and may contain COMPULSORY questions.
• Questions must be answered in English unless, with regard to any particular question, it is expressly stated that the answer may be either in English or in French or where relevant extracts from French authorities need to be referred to.

At the start of each written paper, candidates will be allowed TEN MINUTES to study the question paper before they start writing.

Paper I will contain:

• FOUR questions on Constitutional Law out of which TWO must be answered
• FOUR questions on Administrative Law out of which TWO must be answered.

Paper II, III, IV will contain SIX questions out of which FOUR must be answered.

(3) A candidate will be allowed to a resit in not more than two papers provided that they:-

(a) obtains the minimum overall percentage of 60%; and
(b) secures at least 40% in the paper(s); and
(c) passes in the other papers.

If a candidate secures at least a pass (50%) in the papers in which they have been allowed a resit, they will be deemed to have passed the whole examination, failing which they will, at any future test and subject to (4), be required to sit for the whole examination.

(4) Where a candidate had, at an examination held in the preceding year, scored not less than 70% in the oral test in Advocacy but sits again for the whole examination in the following year, they may, upon application to the Council, be exempted from taking the oral Advocacy test anew.

No candidate will be allowed more than SIX ATTEMPTS. These six attempts should be made within an overall period on not more than six years from the first attempt at the Vocational Examinations, except where the period is extended on good cause shown to the satisfaction of the Council.

BAR PRACTICE COURSE (BPC) TO QUALIFY AS A BARRISTER IN ENGLAND & WALES

• The Bar Practice Course (BPC), previously the Bar Professional Training Course (BPTC), is the qualifying postgraduate course allowing graduates to prepare and practice as barristers in England and Wales or Mauritius upon completion of pupillage.
• It is the vocational stage of training, which you’re required to pass before you can go on to complete the final, practical stage of training; pupillage.

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

To be eligible to take your place, you must comply with the requirements for commencing a Bar Practice Course (BPC) set out by the Bar Standards Board (BSB). The Bar Qualification Manual,  gives you complete information about these requirements.

You will be required to pass the Bar Course Aptitude Test (BCAT) by August of the year you commence your studies. Further details on this test can be found on the Bar Standards Board website.

YOU WILL NEED EITHER:

• a qualifying law degree (QLD) 2:1 minimum or
• an undergraduate degree in any other subject (2:1 minimum*)
• and a Graduate Diploma in Law/CPE.
• For qualifying law degrees, all offers based on predicted grades will be conditional upon
  achieving a 2:1 or above.
• For non-QLD applicants with a 2:2, offers based on predicted GDL grade will be conditional
  upon achieving distinction or commendation.

INNS OF COURT (UK)

You must join an Inn of Court before you can start the BPC. The closing date for application to an Inn of Court is 12 weeks before your BPC course is due to commence. Please contact the relevant Inn for further details:

• Gray’s Inn
• Inner Temple
• Lincoln’s Inn
• Middle Temple

MONTHS OF ENTRY

January, July, September

INFORMATION FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS

English language requirements

If you have completed a degree outside the UK and do not come from a ‘majority English speaking country, You must provide a certified copy of one of the approved English Language Tests; (LNAT Pass certificate).

BPC DURATION

· Part time – 20 months
Campus-based learning

· Full time – 8-9 months
Campus-based learning

FEES AND FUNDING

UK students – £12,100

International students – £12,100

BPC – Domestic:
From £12,100 (July and September). International: From £12,100 (July and September).

BPC LLM – Domestic:
From £14,900 (July and September). International: From £14,900 (July and September).

COURSE STRUCTURE OF THE BPC

Knowledge areas

• Civil litigation, evidence and resolution of disputes out of court
• Criminal litigation, evidence and sentencing

Core skills

• Advocacy, including examination-in-chief, cross-examination, and civil applications
• Conferencing
• Drafting
• Opinion writing
• Professional Ethics
• Legal Research

Mock trials

Most UK Universities provide as many opportunities as possible to hone your essential advocacy skills and put what you learn into practice:

• Participating in mock trials in real courtrooms with honest judges and senior barristers
• Online advocacy skill demonstrations with feedback from practicing barristers
• Visits to the High Court, Magistrate’s Court, Crown Court, and County Courts