New Devereux head calls for better professional standards

Jeffrey Burke QC, the recently elected head of Devereux Chambers, has called for a continuation of the Bar's move towards higher professional standards and competence.

Burke, who is replacing Peter Weitzman QC at the head of the set, says continuing to build on a service mentality will be a key policy for the chambers.

"For the most part I don't think there's a real danger of becoming dictated to by clients or solicitors," he said, adding that the Bar's role could remain distinct even if it did work more closely with solicitors.

Burke said his predominately civil litigation and commercial law set had taken on four new tenants in the last year as it looked to expand in areas of local government, environmental and public law.

Burke, a leading practitioner in the fields of professional and medical negligence and employment law, sits as a Deputy High Court Judge and is a legal member of the

Mental Health Independent Review Tribunal.

His appointment coincides with changes to the set's clerking and administrative structure. Senior clerk Elton Maryon and practice development manager Angela Griffiths, a former Oswald Hickson Collier litigation partner, are to work together and will concentrate on developing and marketing the chambers.