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APPLICATION FOR A CERTIFICATE OF FULL/PARTIAL EXEMPTION FROM
THE ACADEMIC STAGE OF TRAINING FOR THE BAR IN RESPECT OF A
DEGREE NOT AWARDED BY A QUALIFYING LAW DEGREE PROVIDER
Before completing and submitting this form, you must read the accompanying
guidance notes in full together with the checklist.
This form must be completed in type or BLOCK capitals
Student record no:
BPTC Online no:
(Office use only)
Full name:
(Please underline family name/surname)
Title: Miss/Mr/Mrs/Ms (Delete as appropriate)
Address:
Daytime telephone no:
email address:
(Please print clearly)
Date of birth:
Inn of court (if known):
If you have been offered a place on the BPTC, you must complete the
following:
Year:
Institution:
Full-time/part-time/distance learning (Delete as appropriate)
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Details of the degree on which full/partial exemption is sought
Degree title:
Degree subject:
Honours/ordinary (Delete as appropriate)
Class of degree:
Name of institution:
Full-time/part-time/distance learning
(Delete as appropriate)
Period of study:
(ie: the dates of commencement award of the degree)
Details of any other undergraduate degree held
Degree title:
Degree subject:
Honours/ordinary (Delete as appropriate)
Class of degree:
Name of institution:
Full-time/part-time/distance learning
(Delete as appropriate)
Period of study:
(ie: the dates of commencement award of the degree)
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I wish to claim exemption from the following foundations of legal knowledge by
virtue of the degree(s) obtained and detailed on page two. You must mark with
an ‘x’, in the column second to the right, the subject from which exemption is
sought and enter the assessment year under ‘Year passed’. You must not mark
subjects which are outstanding.
Year Year
Subject passed X Subject passed X
Public Law
Obligations I (Contract) (Constitutional &
Administrative Law)
Obligations II (Tort) Equity & The Law of Trusts
Criminal Law European Union Law
Another Area of Legal Study
Property Law (Land Law)
Title of subject claimed:
In addition, I wish to claim exemption from English Legal System
(State the title of this subject as shown on your transcript):
I intend to complete the Academic Stage of Training for the Bar by passing the
CPE/GDL:
Institution Subjects From To
Expected/Actual Date of Course:
Completion:
Full-time/part-time/distance learning
(Delete as appropriate)
Applicants must be aware that the Bar Professional Training Course cannot be
commenced unless and until the Academic Stage of Training for the Bar has
been fully and satisfactorily completed.
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I declare that:
i) I have read the guidance notes;
ii) The information I have given in this application is complete and true;
iii) Any supporting evidence that I have supplied with this application
that refers to third parties has been suitably redacted so as to preserve
the anonymity of third parties; and
iv) I consent to my personal data being processed for the purpose of
consideration of this application and in accordance with the Bar
Council’s Privacy Statement1
Signature:
Name:
Date:
You must now refer to the checklist on page five.
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See www.barstandardsboard.org.uk/footer-items/privacy-statement/
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Checklist
Before returning this form, you must ensure that you have:
Provided a certified copy (please see notes on completing application form) of the
relevant documentation if, for any reason, you have changed your family
name/surname since your degree qualification(s) were awarded:
Enclosed evidence of the degree upon which your full/partial exemption
application is based together with evidence of any other degrees listed on this
form which must be in the form of official transcripts. You must refer to the
transcript format requirements section of the guidance notes before submitting
transcripts. If necessary, it is acceptable for you to request that these documents
are sent directly to the BSB by the awarding institution. Please note that the BSB
will not contact third parties for this, or any other purpose;
Enclosed all necessary supporting evidence from the awarding university in the
format specified;
Indicated the subjects from which exemption is sought, including English Legal
System, if appropriate. If claiming exemption from Another Area of Legal Study,
the title of this subject must be entered in the space provided;
Signed, named and dated the declaration on page four as your application cannot
be processed unless this declaration has been fully completed;
Completed the Equal Opportunities Monitoring form on page 11, and;
Enclosed the fee of £550.00. Please refer to the notes on page nine.
Unless specifically requested by ticking the box below, apart from original degree
certificates, any documents provided in support of an application will be destroyed
through the Bar Standards Board’s confidential waste procedures.
You must tick this box if you require your documents to be returned
This form must now be returned to:
Training Regulations Officer (academic stage)
Qualification & Regulations Section
The Bar Standards Board
The General Council of the Bar
289 - 293 High Holborn
London
WC1V 7HZ
Telephone: (020) 7611 1444
Facsimile: (020) 7611 1332
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Guidance Notes
This form and guidance notes are applicable only to students submitting an
application by 31 August 2013. If you intend to submit an application after this date,
you must contact the Academic Stage Office for a copy of the new form. You must
read these notes carefully, in conjunction with the current Academic Stage Book, and
the general application guidelines document available to download from
www.barstandardsboard.org.uk, before completing and submitting your application.
In every case, the Academic Stage Panel of the Qualifications Committee has the
power to request further information or documentation be supplied in support of an
application; however, applicants must note that it is the primary responsibility of the
applicant to provide all relevant information and supporting evidence rather than the
task of the Academic Stage Panel of the Qualifications Committee to ask for it.
Please note that your application cannot be processed where evidence is incomplete
and that the processing period runs from the date upon which your application is
complete: ie, the date that all necessary evidence has been received.
Submission of an application for full/partial exemption from the Academic Stage of
Training for the Bar must not be taken as an indication that such an application will
be successful.
Should you be granted a Certificate of Full/Partial Exemption from the Academic
Stage of Training for the Bar, this will be valid for a period of five years after the
award of the degree upon which the application was based; ie, until 31 December of
the relevant year.
Introduction
The Academic Stage is the first stage of training for the Bar which is designed to
ensure that, in addition to having achieved an appropriate level of academic ability,
the student has a basic body of knowledge and understanding of English Law that
may be assumed and built upon in the Vocational Stage of Training which follows.
The subjects forming the Academic Stage are: Obligations, Criminal Law, Property
Law, Public Law, Equity & the Law of Trusts and Law of the European Union.
Students are also expected to have appropriate expertise in Legal Research.
Exemptions from the foundations of legal knowledge and one other area of legal
study (the Academic Stage) may be granted where the corresponding law subjects
have been passed within a law degree awarded by an overseas institution. This is
subject to the degree upon which the application is based being completed and
awarded, the degree being regarded as meeting the Bar’s minimum entry
requirement (ie, a Certificate of Academic Standing has been issued by the BSB in
respect of the degree concerned) and the application for exemption being made
within five years of 31 December of the year in which the degree concerned was
awarded; although, it may be possible to reactivate a degree which is older. In
addition, the degree must contain foundations of legal knowledge subjects equivalent
to those obtained in a UK Qualifying Law Degree (QLD) and must comply with the
Revised Joint Announcement in respect of the period of study and
examinations/assessments of the awarding university; furthermore, it will be
necessary for you to demonstrate that you have studied the law of England and
Wales in respect of the foundations of legal knowledge within an honours level
course. Unless competence has been established in the English Legal System you
must undertake this subject at the appropriate stage in a Common Professional
Examination/an Approved Graduate Diploma in Law Course (CPE/GDL. If your
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degree(s) does/do not meet these requirements, it/these will be regarded in the same
way as an overseas non-law degree.
If you intend to apply for full/partial exemption from the Academic Stage of Training
for the Bar solely on the basis of professional qualifications, you must use application
form ‘M’.
Notes on completing the application form
If, for any reason, you have changed your family name/surname since your degree
qualifications were awarded, appropriate documentation must be enclosed with your
application. Photocopies of this documentation must be certified copies: ie, certified
as true copies by a UK Notary Public, or, if you are unable to access a UK Notary
Public, a qualified legal practitioner from your home jurisdiction. Any other form of
certification is not acceptable.
All communications will be sent to the address given on the application form;
therefore, if after submitting your application, you subsequently change your personal
details, you must notify the BSB immediately in writing. Additionally, as it may be
necessary for you to be contacted regarding your application, it is essential that you
provide both a daytime telephone number and an email address.
General notes
Applications for full/partial exemption from the Academic Stage of Training for the Bar
must be submitted to the BSB before commencement of the CPE/GDL. In
exceptional circumstances, the BSB may waive this requirement, subject to
submission of a written request stating why you were unable to meet this
requirement. Applicants in this position must contact the BSB’s Academic Stage
Office for further advice before submitting this application.
Any foundations of legal knowledge outstanding after partial exemption has been
granted must be taken and passed through the CPE/GDL, not by any other means.
Where permission has been granted by the BSB to undertake individual subjects
within the CPE/GDL, all such students must comply with the assessment
requirements of their chosen CPE/GDL provider.
Applicants are warned that the granting of a Certificate of Full/Partial Exemption from
the Academic Stage of Training for the Bar by the BSB does not guarantee a place
on the CPE/GDL, and that the issue of such a certificate, together with successful
completion of the CPE/GDL, where required, does not guarantee a place on the Bar
Professional Training Course (BPTC).
Please note that a Certificate of Full/Partial Exemption issued by the Solicitors
Regulation Authority is not sufficient for the Bar; therefore, a separate application
must be made to the BSB.
Transcripts
Transcripts must be provided for all degree qualifications listed and must be
submitted as originals in a sealed envelope over-stamped with the official
stamp, or seal, of the awarding institution. Open copies: ie, those not
contained in a sealed, over-stamped/officially sealed envelope are not
acceptable, notwithstanding that these may be the original documents issued
to you by the awarding institution. Transcripts must show: the final
classification, or overall mark, of the degree awarded; the date of award; all
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subjects taken; the number of attempts at each subject and all marks and
credits obtained in all years, of the degree(s) concerned. Where an
alpha/numeric grading system is used, the key must be included showing the actual
marks, or mark ranges, represented by the grades used.
If these documents have been previously submitted to the BSB as part of a
Certificate of Academic Standing application, it is not necessary for further transcripts
to be provided unless specifically requested.
Procedures for submission of an application
Certificate of Academic Standing requirement
Holders of law degrees awarded outside the UK/Republic of Ireland must, in the first
instance, apply for and obtain a Certificate of Academic Standing from the BSB (for
which there is a separate application process) before any exemptions from the
Academic Stage will be considered. You must contact the BSB’s Academic Stage
Office for further advice before submitting this application if you are applying on the
basis of an overseas law degree.
Please note that a Certificate of Academic Standing issued by the Solicitors
Regulation Authority is not sufficient for this purpose; therefore, a separate
application must be submitted to the BSB.
Supporting evidence
When submitting this application, you must enclose the following evidence, which
must be certified by the awarding university:
One examination paper (that was attempted by the applicant) for each subject
for which exemption is sought
A detailed syllabus and reading list for all subjects for which exemption is
sought
A list of cases and statutes taught for all subjects for which exemption is
sought
A module/unit description form for all subjects for which exemption is sought
A plan of teaching hours for all subjects for which exemption is sought.
A letter from your university stating that the above covers the courses
as studied by yourself together with the dates of the courses concerned,
and;
An official transcript of your law degree as stated above unless this has been
submitted previously as part of a Certificate of Academic Standing application
to the BSB.
The above evidence must be submitted in respect of Another Area of Legal Study
and English Legal System where exemption for either, or both, is to be claimed.
The above list is not exhaustive; therefore, it is possible that further evidence
may be required once an initial appraisal of your application has been made by
the Academic Stage Panel of the Qualifications Committee.
Another Area of Legal Study: if you are claiming exemption from this subject, you
must have completed and passed a law subject within your degree course, which
must be a full subject having sufficient legal content and relevance. An exemption
may be granted notwithstanding that the subject is not designated Another Area of
Legal Study on the CPE/GDL at the institution concerned. Another Area of Legal
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Study must not be a foundation of legal knowledge subject, English Legal System,
Legal Method or Legal Research.
If you wish to claim exemption from Another Area of Legal Study, you must indicate
this in the table on page three of the application form together with the title of the
subject which you wish to be assessed as Another Area of Legal Study.
English Legal System: Unless competence has been established in this subject
within your degree, you must do so at the appropriate stage in a CPE/GDL.
You must ensure that the above documentation, duly certified by the awarding
university, is submitted in the form of official evidence, fully indexed, including details
of the academic year to which it relates, in a ring binder with dividers clearly stating
the nature of the material included (ie, syllabus, exam papers, plans and teaching
hours details) and the foundation subject to which it relates as this will not be sorted
upon receipt here. It must be made clear that if you fail to comply with these
instructions, or to submit all of the evidence requested, your application will not be
accepted.
Your application for exemptions from the Academic Stage of Training for the Bar will
only be considered on the basis of the syllabi, etc. studied by yourself covering the
subjects from which you are seeking exemption; therefore, you must supply the
documentation requested which relates to the relevant year of study. Should you be
unable to obtain this, you must request the appropriate member of the awarding
university’s academic staff to provide a letter confirming that there have not been any
significant changes to that particular course. In addition, this letter must set out the
dates of evidence provided together with the dates of the courses studied. Please
note that if you are unable to submit the primary material, or a letter of verification,
your exemption application for the subject concerned will not be considered.
Maximum number of attempts at foundation subject(s)
A student is only permitted three attempts at any foundation subject; therefore, where
a student has exhausted all three attempts either within a law degree, the CPE/GDL
or a combination thereof, the student may only satisfy the Academic Stage by
completing a full QLD or the CPE/GDL afresh. If you have exceeded this limit, you
must contact the BSB’s Academic Stage Office for further advice before proceeding.
Translations
Where any evidence submitted in support of this application is in a language other
than English, an English translation is required, which must be undertaken by one of
the following: a UK Public Notary; the university which awarded the degree; The
British Council or the appropriate Embassy. These are the only forms of translation
which are acceptable to the BSB; therefore, translations undertaken by a commercial
translation service are not acceptable. This translation must be attached to copies of
the original documentation in the primary language, which must be certified as true
copies by the awarding institution, unless translated by that institution.
Fees
The fee for an application for a certificate of full/partial exemption from the Academic
Stage of Training is £550.00, which must be paid by Sterling cheque, bank draft
(payable on a UK bank), or postal orders, made payable to ‘The General Council of
The Bar’.
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Credit/debit card or cash payments cannot be accepted.
The fee is non-refundable.
In exceptional cases, a waiver of the fee may be granted. For further details please
see the BSB's website at www.barstandardsboard.org.uk, ‘Qualifying as a barrister’;
Forms and guidelines’; ‘Academic Stage forms’, then ‘Fees’.
Applications may take up to 16 weeks to process.
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Equal Opportunities Monitoring
The following information is requested to enable the Bar Standards Board / Bar Council
to monitor the fairness of its procedures. This section of the form will be separated from
your application and used for statistical analysis only.
1) Which of the following best describes
your ethnic origin?
a) White d) Black
British Caribbean
Irish African
Any other White Any other Black
background (please specify) background (please
specify)
b) Mixed
e) Chinese or other
White and Black Caribbean ethnic group
White and Black African Chinese
White and Asian Other (please specify)
Any other mixed
background (please specify) 2) Please indicate whether you are:
c) Asian a) Male
Indian b) Female
Pakistani
3) What is your age?
Bangladeshi
Any other Asian background 18-24
(please specify)
25-44
45-60
Over 60
4) Do you consider Yes No
yourself to be disabled?
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