A Kilkenny woman has been elected as the new Chair of The Council of the Bar of Ireland.
Sara Phelan SC will lead the organisation for a year from next September.
The Kilkenny native was called to the Bar in 1996, having previously been a qualified pharmacist for several years.
Sara was appointed Senior Counsel and called to the Inner Bar in 2013.
She practices in Dublin and across the South Eastern Circuit in personal injury law, child/family law, crime, judicial review/non-jury, chancery, probate and mental health law.
She is also Chair of the Bar of Ireland Professional Practices Committee and the Law & Women Mentoring Committee.
On her election she said, “I am honoured to lead the Council of The Bar of Ireland over the coming year. As a profession, we now stand at an inflection point in respect of reasserting the importance of the Independent Referral Bar and its role in providing access to justice, advancing a human rights approach, and to the rule of law. This is a message that I hope to drive forward across the legal sector, and with our stakeholders.
She adds, “The recent EY Report on the Future Landscape for Barrister Services is a call to the profession to continue to adapt and respond to a changing environment, while holding true to our values and commitment to justice. I look forward to driving innovation, diversity and promotion of the profession in my term ahead. Vital aspects of integrity, training and the regulation of our profession should give confidence to the public and others of our unique value. In addition, they should be developed in continuing to attract and retain the talent and expertise that equips the Bar to thrive into the future”
