Female barrister Rehana 'sacked in favour of white man

The only female Afghan barrister in England and Wales Rehana Popal said other clients have told her they wanted someone white "because the judge will believe them".

She said it suggested there was a “serious concern” with how the justice system was being perceived.

The Ministry of Justice said it was committed to increasing the diversity of the judiciary.

Ms Popal, an immigration and civil law specialist barrister at 10 KBW chambers in the Temple, tweeted: "Just had a solicitor call to tell me... the client has said he doesn't want an Asian female but a white male barrister."

The barrister, who came to the UK as a child refugee, told the Victoria Derbyshire programme it had happened several times before and was "just sadly the reality" of what ethnic minorities faced at the Bar.


“That is a serious concern, because if they’re having that perception, then there’s something wrong with how the justice system is being perceived by outsiders and that needs to be remedied urgently.”


Ms Popal said the sad thing was she had become “numb” to it as it had happened so often.

“When it happened it’s almost ‘eye-roll, here it happens again’. The first time it happened it was heartbreaking…but I’ve just got to shrug it off, move on and let my work speak for itself.”


The Bar Council, which represents the 15,000 practising barristers in England and Wales, told solicitors they needed to challenge clients who discriminated against barristers because of their gender, race or any other protected characteristic.