Felicity Gerry writes in the Evening Standard

Creche at Bar ‘would help women to be top barristers’

Mothers need this useful change

LONDON’S barristers were today urged by their own watchdog to set up a nursery in the heart of the capital’s legal world to help more women reach the top of the profession.

Baroness Deech, chairwoman of the Bar Standards Board, said that she was “really very annoyed” that no crèche had been provided to help mothers combine childcare with their demanding working lives.

Leading criminal barrister and mother of three Felicity Gerry called the absence of a nursery in the centre of London’s legal world “outdated”.

She said: “A nursery in the Temple area would be really useful for women who are working in central London at the Royal Courts of Justice, Chancery and elsewhere – and to have such a large estate of business premises without one is really old-fashioned.”

Ms Gerry added that although criminal barristers like herself work all over the country, childcare near home would be more useful. “Revolutions come in small ways, but this would help to change our world and I think it would be used once it was there.

“Baroness Deech is quite right. Not having a nursery is too antiquated for words.”