Reasonable adjustments | One Essex Court

One Essex Court is committed to making such reasonable adjustments as may be requested in the context of the Equality Act 2010, in order to remove or reduce substantial disadvantage for disabled people working with chambers or receiving our services. This policy aims to achieve that.

This policy covers all employees and clients of chambers, barristers, clerks, pupils and other visitors to chambers. For the purposes of this policy the definition of disability follows that set out in the Equality Act 2010 s.6. This policy does not provide an exhaustive list of the reasonable adjustments that chambers will make for employees, clients, barristers, pupils or other visitors. Examples of the types of adjustment that may be made in appropriate cases are:

Provision of information in alternative formats (e.g. large print)
Provision of auxiliary aids e.g. induction loops
Provision of accessible conference room facilities

Clients may request an adjustment by contacting the barrister they are instructing or any clerk. Barristers with specific requirements should make requests via their Management Committee representative. Pupils should raise any relevant issues with their pupil supervisor or the Senior Clerk. Staff and any person not previously mentioned should do so through the Senior Clerk.

All requests for reasonable adjustments will be considered on a case by case basis, with the advice and assistance of Chambers’ Equality and Diversity Officer and where it is not possible to make the adjustment requested the Management Committee or Senior Clerk will discuss viable alternatives with the applicant.

The Management Committee is responsible for considering whether or not disabled staff, barristers or pupils require assistance during an emergency evacuation and if so whether or not a personal emergency evacuation plan is required for the individual/s concerned. If so, the plan will be developed in partnership with the individual concerned in order to ensure that adjustments to the emergency evacuation procedure may be made.

Barristers are responsible for considering reasonable adjustment requests for their visitors. They are also responsible for anticipating any likely reasonable adjustments that will need to be made for visitors whom they know to be disabled and are likely to require assistance.

Chambers will make reasonable adjustments to enable disabled candidates to demonstrate their suitability for employment, membership or pupillage. Candidates should request an adjustment after receiving an invitation to interview.

Chambers will make reasonable adjustments to enable disabled mini-pupils to come for a mini-pupillage. Successful applicants for mini-pupillage should request an adjustment when arranging the date of their mini-pupillage with the Secretary to the Pupillage Committee. Chambers can accommodate mini-pupils who are wheelchair users; a request for an accessible mini-pupillage should similarly be raised when the date of the mini-pupillage is arranged.

Chambers will take such steps as are reasonable to provide auxiliary aids or services to a disabled employee who would otherwise be put at a substantial disadvantage in relation to a non-disabled employee.

In no circumstances will One Essex Court pass on the cost of a reasonable adjustment to a disabled person.

For further information, please contact the clerks on +44 (0)20 7583 2000 or clerks@oeclaw.co.uk