The growth of the number of barristers sole in New
Zealand, often referred to as the independent bar, is a reasonably recent
phenomena in the practice of law.
Barristers sole tend to hold to the same practice and traditions as
their counter parts in Britain.
The growth in the independent bar recognised the difficulty the
traditional legal practice in New Zealand had of providing independent
advice and high quality advocacy to clients from within, often small to
moderately sized law firms.
Barristers sole do not accept instructions directly from members of the
public.
Instead in terms of what is known as the intervention rule all
instructions to a barrister must come from or via a solicitor. There is an
exception where instructions can be received from a barrister from the
Registrar of the Court.
