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Brussels Bar

The Bar in figures

Role of the Brussels Bar 

The Brussels Bar plays a key role in upholding the rule of law and protecting the rights of citizens.

It ensures the professional competence of its member lawyers and monitors their compliance with ethical rules.

The Bar organises the pupillage and training programmes for junior lawyers and guarantees ongoing professional development throughout their careers.

It also recognises the areas of specialisation of lawyers, thereby ensuring high-level expertise across various fields of law.

The Brussels Bar also performs a key disciplinary role. It receives complaints from clients, lawyers, judges and any other interested parties and refers cases to the disciplinary council where a lawyer appears to have breached professional obligations.

To improve access to justice and to the services of a lawyer, the Bar has established Legal Aid Bureaus. This initiative ensures that even the most disadvantaged individuals can obtain high-quality legal assistance.

Through all these tasks, the Brussels Bar contributes to a fair and effective judicial system, while supporting and strengthening the legal profession.

Roll and lists 

In accordance with the law, the roll and lists are finalised as of 1 December 2023.

Who is who?  

In Belgium, the law requires lawyers to join an autonomous public institution known as the Bar Association. This body includes qualified lawyers listed on the roll as well as trainee lawyers, organised by judicial district.

Brussels, the Bar Association also includes:

  • Members of foreign Bars affiliated with the Brussels Bar (List B)
  • Lawyers from European Bars established in Brussels (List E)

Belgium has 28 Bar Associations, including, the Association of French- and German-language Bars, the Association of Flemish Bars, and the Bar Association at the Court of Cassation.

In Brussels, there are two distinct Bar Associations:

  • The Brussels French-language Bar Association  
  • The Brussels Dutch-language Bar Association.

Lawyers are not limited to practising within their judicial district. A Brussels lawyer, for example, may plead in Liège, Antwerp, or anywhere within the European Union, and even beyond, subject to certain conditions.

Marie Dupont is the current President of the Bar, and the first woman to hold this position at the Brussels Bar.

Elected annually by the general assembly of lawyers, the President of the Bar leads the Bar for a two-year term. The President of the Bar represents the Bar, chairs both the Council of the Bar Association and the general meeting of lawyers, and is responsible for the day-to-day management of the Bar Association.

The President of the Bar advises lawyers on professional difficulties, resolves disputes between lawyers, and intervenes in conflicts involving the courts. He or she also receives and reviews complaints against lawyers and decide whether to refer the matter to the disciplinary council.

Marc Dal is the current Vice-President of the Brussels Bar.

The Vice-President of the Bar assists the President of the Bar in all their duties and acts as a replacement in their absence. The Vice-President of the Bar plays a key role in supporting the leadership of the Bar, especially by participating in meetings of the Council of the Bar Association and the general meeting of lawyers.

The position is held for two years, after which the Vice-President of the Bar is elected President of the Bar for a two-year term.

The Council of the Bar Association is composed of the President of the Bar and sixteen members elected annually by the general assembly of lawyers. It represents all members of the Bar.

By law, the Council’s mission is to uphold the honour of the Bar Association and maintain the principles of n, which are essential to proper professional conduct (Article 455 of the Judicial Code).

The Council also oversees regulatory and administrative duties, including organising the pupillage and professional training, drafting rules of professional conduct, managing legal aid for those in need, registering lawyers on the roll and other official lists of the Bar

Under the guidance of the President of the Bar, the Council is also involved in key issues relating to the legal profession, its structure and future, justice, human rights, and civil liberties. The Council meets weekly to carry out its responsibilities.

The office of the President of the Bar assists the latter in carrying out his or her duties and plays a key role in the day-to-day management of the Bar while providing operational support for its President.