The South Eastern Circuit, Tim Dutton CBE KC,  Advanced International Advocacy Course 2025

The course will take place from Tuesday 26th August 2025 until Saturday 30th August 2025 (concluding at 17.00hrs)

Watch an interview with the Course Founder, Tim Dutton CBE KC.

The interview covers the history of the Keble Dutton course, Tim’s unrivalled contribution to advocacy training and his life and career.

 

Format and Applications:

The aim of this course is to encourage and develop the highest standards of advocacy amongst practitioners in England & Wales. The course is the most demanding and intensive of any advocacy course in the UK and is widely said to be the best advocacy course in the world.

To qualify for the course, you must  be a practising member of the Bar, over three years’ call and post NPP at the time of attending the course.  We should also make it clear that the course is not just for junior barristers. There is no upper limit on year of call. Senior practitioners of 10 years call and above regularly join the course and occasionally Silks also.  Some are returning to practice following career breaks for various reasons. 

The cost to each participating Circuit member is £1,500.00 / £2,500.00 / £3,000.00 + VAT (Crime / Civil / Overseas respectively).   

Full payment must be received by 25th June 2025. However, you are welcome to make payment by instalments. Please indicate on your application form if you wish to do so.

Previous courses have been accredited by the Bar Standards Board (includes 33 CPD hours, 9 Advocacy hours).

The course takes place at Keble College, Oxford and participants must attend each day of the course.

Download the Course Application Form

 

The Inns of Court Scholarships:

The Inns of Court offer funding for up to five of their members practising as Barristers in publicly funded work. The funding covers the cost of attending the Keble Dutton Course. 

To apply for a scholarship from your Inn for the 2025 course, please complete both the application form and the Inns' scholarship application form and submit them together to aaron.dolan@southeastcircuit.org.uk. 

Download the Course Application Form

Download the Inn Scholarship Application Form

 

The Criminal Bar Scholarships:

The Criminal Bar Association offer funding for up to five of their members practising as Barristers in publicly funded work, which partially covers the cost of attending the Keble Dutton Course.

To apply for a scholarship from the CBA for the 2025 course, please complete both the application form and CBA scholarship form and submit to: aaron.dolan@southeastcircuit.org.uk. 

Download the Course Application Form

Download the CBA Scholarship Application Form

 

The Course:

Every participant undertakes each piece of work, which includes written and oral advocacy. Each advocacy exercise is filmed.

There are plenary sessions with guidance and demonstrations delivered by experienced practitioners and judges on various aspects of advocacy. 

The participants then spend time in small groups of around 6, with 3 or 4 trainers. There is immediate critique in the classroom followed by private one-on-one video critique. The purpose of the sessions during the week is to improve advocacy skills in all areas associated with a trial including expert witness handling. 

When making your application to attend the course, you must decide whether you wish to attend the Crime or the Civil course, and whether you wish to attend the Medical or Accountancy expert course, which takes place on the Friday of the course.

On the last day of the course (Saturday) a full trial takes place (also filmed) for criminal practitioners before a judge and jury, and for civil practitioners before a High Court Judge or Deputy. The jury's deliberations are filmed: each participant receives the film. Jurors also complete a confidential questionnaire on each advocate's performance. Participants also have the opportunity to discuss the case with the jury afterwards – something which can never happen in real life but which gives invaluable insight!

A day and a half is devoted to working with experts in a trial setting. The experts will either be specialist hospital Consultants (a medical negligence/manslaughter case) or accountants from one of the large accountancy firms.  Voice and performance coaching is also available throughout the week from two experts in the field. 

Whilst the work on this course is demanding, firm friendships are made in the context of a supportive collegiate environment. Participants will be living and working with some of the great advocates of this generation, whose intentions are to help each participant realise his or her true potential.

This course is internationally recognised as arguably the best and most intensive advocacy course in the world. In recent years, we have been fortunate enough to have participants from the War Crimes Tribunals in The Hague, and faculty members and participants from the Bars of Scotland, the USA, South African Bar, Australia, New Zealand, India, Pakistan, Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia. We, and they, all gain immeasurably from this dimension.

 

The Faculty:

The Faculty consists of domestic and international senior juniors, silks and judges, all of whom have undergone teacher training including specific training for this course. The ratio of participant to teacher is approximately 2.5:1.

 

Arrangements at the College:

You will be provided with a single ensuite room (with a fridge) for the duration of the course and three meals a day in the main hall (breakfast, lunch, and dinner). Throughout the week, tea, coffee, fruit, and snacks are provided during the breaks.

Whilst we insist on a dark suit for the Saturday mock trial and smart clothing for the Friday, when we are joined by our experts, the dress code for the other days is casual, although we would suggest comfortable shoes, especially those of you are undertaking the crime course. On the Friday night there is a banquet for which the dress code is lounge suits: NOT black tie.

Members of the Faculty would be delighted if you were to join them each evening for a pre-dinner drink at the Lamb & Flag or at the college bar (behind the main hall). Your group tutor will give you further details. Whilst an intensive course, the Faculty are incredibly social. You will be introduced to some you already know and many you will not.

Upon arrival on Tuesday morning, you should check in at the Porters’ Lodge and make your way to your room.  It’s a good idea to take a stroll around the grounds to accustom yourself with the various rooms indicated on the map which will be provided to you. It’s a small college, and none of the venues are more than 2 or 3 minutes’ walk apart.

We would certainly recommend a look around the grounds if you are undertaking the Crime course.  The Civil course classrooms are above the main lecture theatre, but the Crime classrooms are dotted around the College (hence, comfortable shoes).  Please also familiarise yourself with the location of your video feedback room  which are next to the college bar.

On the first day (the Tuesday), after settling into your room, please come to the lecture theatre behind the main quad and register, collect your name badge (with a green lanyard) and a memory card. The memory cards will film your advocacy to enable your faculty member to provide feedback on later viewing over the course of the week.

Each classroom will have a Helper, to assist with any matters relating to the recordings.  All members of the Faculty and the SEC administrator will be happy to help in any way. 

The deadline for the submission of application forms is 1st June 2025.

The deadline for the submission of scholarship application forms is 1st May 2025.