Complaints against barristers’ social media conduct more than double

Complaints against barristers’ conduct on social media to the bar watchdog have more than doubled, largely driven by online commentary about the Gaza conflict and gender rights. In its 2025/26 report, the Bar Standards Board , which oversees over 18,000 English and Welsh barristers, said it assessed 279 complaints of social media conduct over the past year, compared to 132 the year before. Out of these complaints, the majority “related to the Israel and Palestine conflict”, the watchdog said, counting 192 complaints linked to the topic.

As well as this, 43 specifically concerned commentary on social media about gender rights. According to the findings, the total number of complaints made to the watchdog against barristers soared by over a quarter in the last year, up 29 per cent from 2,614 the previous year to 3,439. The Bar Standards Board’s most recent guidance for barristers using social media sets out examples of online conduct that could result in a potential breach of the BSB Handbook – the regulator’s official book of rules that governs the conduct, practice, and training of barristers in England and Wales.

These include discriminatory or offensive comments that target a specific group of people, and sharing or engaging with offensive or discriminatory content posted by others “without making it clear that you disagree with the content, as this may be taken as an endorsement of that content,” according to the guidance. In the report’s foreword, director general of the Bar Standards Board, Phil Golding, said the volume of reports “has impacted our efficiency and timeliness targets.”

“We, of course, recognise there is more to do, but we are all committed to improving the service we provide over the coming year,” Golding said. The rise of the ‘lawfluencer’ Many barristers and lawyers increasingly utilise their social media platforms to share their thoughts on work-related content, with LinkedIn being a particularly active platform across the sector. In its 2025 guidance for young barristers starting at the bar, the Bar Council encouraged new barristers to “build a good profile on LinkedIn” as “your online presence matters and can shape your professional opportunities.”

Social media has also given rise to so-called ‘legal influencers’, or ‘lawfluencers’ – solicitors and barristers who share content and advice for an audience online and build up a following. However, in August City AM revealed many trainee lawyers have taken to social media to monetise their “advice” and offer “mentorship” to aspiring candidates looking to land training contracts and apprenticeships, sparking backlash from industry veterans who claim the practice is exploitative.