Barbara Mills, Baroness Mills of Greenwich
The Baroness Mills of Greenwich | |
|---|---|
| Member of the House of Lords | |
| Life peerage 28 August 2026 | |
| Personal details | |
| Party | Labour |
Barbara Mills, Baroness Mills of Greenwich KC is a British barrister. She is the first black woman elected as Chair of the Bar Council, in the 131-year history of the organisation, which represents the barristers in England and Wales.[1]
She was called to the Bar in 1990, took silk in 2020, and was given a peerage in the July 2026 political peerages.[1][2][3][4]
Career
Mills previously served as head of chambers at 4PB, deputy high court judge and was ten years Recorder on the South Eastern Circuit,[3] and had served as vice-chair of the bar council and served as co-chair of its race working group.[5][6] She was co-editor of The International Family Law Journal and sat on the governing bench of the Inner Temple.[5] Her practice has been ranked highly by Legal 500 and in Chambers & Partners.[7] She has promoted mediation in her career, and participated in international exchanges on this topic.[7] In 2024, Mills was awarded a lifetime achievement award by the Women and Diversity in Law Awards.[8]
Early life and education
Mills is British-Ghanaian[9] and was given charitable funding for her education, through an application made by her mother, Rosa, which contributed to Mills attending a private girls' school The Royal Masonic School for Girls. She studied at the University of Hull, and then gained a place at the Inns of Court School of Law, London, before obtaining a pupillage at the bar.[5] She has a sister Linda, who lives in America.[10] She said that she quickly learned that 'talent on its own is not enough' without access to opportunities, which this funding had given her and yet she still had challenges gaining work without a network in the profession.[5]
References
- 1 2 "Barbara Mills KC on being first Black Chair of the Bar". Channel 4 News. 2025-01-11. Retrieved 2025-02-28.
- ↑ "Kirsty Brimelow KC elected Vice Chair of the Bar Council | Doughty Street Chambers". www.doughtystreet.co.uk. 2024-05-20. Retrieved 2025-02-28.
- 1 2 "Family silk Barbara Mills takes the helm". New Law Journal. Retrieved 2025-02-28.
- ↑ Watts, Matt (17 July 2026). "Full list of peerages given out as Keir Starmer prepares to exit Number 10". The Standard. The Standard. Retrieved 17 July 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 Sternberg, Michael V. (September 2023). "'Talent on its own is not enough': Barbara Mills KC". Counsel Magazine. Retrieved 2025-02-28.
- ↑ Siddique, Haroon (2022-01-06). "One of the few black female QCs in England and Wales calls for action on inequality". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2025-02-28.
- 1 2 Johnson, Katie (2023-10-31). "4PB's Barbara Mills KC leads delegation to Nairobi Centre for International Arbitration". Today's Family Lawyer. Retrieved 2025-02-28.
- ↑ "Winners unveiled at the Women and Diversity in Law Awards". www.globallegalpost.com. Retrieved 2025-02-28.
- ↑ Admin, Alek (2023-10-26). "Black History Month - Professor Barbara Mills KC - News". Goodman Ray Solicitors. Retrieved 2025-02-28.
- ↑ "British-Ghanaian barrister becomes leader of Bar Council". AKADi Magazine. 2025-01-13. Retrieved 2025-02-28.