For the first time in the organization’s 131-year existence, a person of color has been named head of the United Kingdom’s Bar Council, which represents barristers in England and Wales.
When King’s Counsel Barbara Mills, who was born in Ghana, was appointed chair of the council this week, she accomplished a historic first.
Additionally, Mills, together with Vice-Chair, King’s Counsel Kirsty Brimelow, and Treasurer Lucinda Orr, will serve as the head of the Bar Council’s first-ever all-female officer team.
According to an article in the Solicitors Journal, Mills, who was called to the Bar by Inner Temple in 1990 and named Queen’s Counsel in 2020, has a remarkable career with a focus on challenging child issues.
According to the website, Mills has vast experience in international private law cases handled by the high court and frequently defends guardians and local authorities in care procedures.
One of the top family law sets in England and Wales, 4PB, has Mills as its joint head of chambers. In addition, she serves as a deputy high court judge. Mills expressed her happiness and humility at the selection, according to the Solicitors Journal Mills remarked that she was “delighted and deeply humbled”. According to reports, she stated her goals for the year are to increase awareness of family law, assist government initiatives to lessen violence against women and girls, encourage wellbeing as a fundamental competency for barristers, and promote equality, diversity, and inclusion within the Bar.
