The Ministry of Justice announced a scheme, reported on 2 September 2026, to provide £1.5 million in annual funding for up to 100 additional pupillages each year, offering practical training for aspiring criminal barristers. The scheme, said to have launched on Tuesday 1 September, was described as building on the Council of the Inns of Court pupillage match-funding programme and providing dedicated support for pupillages across England and Wales. Government funding was to support additional training places that would not otherwise be available.

Courts and Legal Services Minister Sarah Sackman KC MP said the initiative would help train the next generation of criminal barristers and widen access to the profession. She also said the legal sector contributes more than £42 billion to the UK economy each year. Chambers receiving funding were expected to incorporate equal opportunity measures into recruitment through targeted outreach and steps to increase representation.

The Criminal Bar Association's Riel Karmy-Jones KC and Andrew Thomas KC welcomed the funding, noting that pupil barristers are trained by unpaid volunteers. Bar Council Chair Kirsty Brimelow KC welcomed the initiative, which she said the Bar Council had championed since 2024. The government framed the scheme as part of its wider plan to rebuild the criminal justice system and tackle the Crown Court backlog.