If a barrister is briefed, to whom must sufficient information be disclosed to enable compliance with obligations to inform the client about the barrister's practice?

• A. The client directly
• B. The opposing party
• C. The instructing solicitors
• D. The regulatory authority

Answer: (C)

When a barrister is briefed, the information about the barrister’s practice that the client needs to know is conveyed through the instructing solicitors. The barrister provides sufficient details to the solicitor—such as area of expertise, experience, any conflicts, and fee arrangements—and the solicitor then informs the client as part of the briefing process. The client typically interacts with the solicitor as the briefing intermediary, so the solicitor has the duty to ensure the client understands who will be acting and what the barrister’s practice entails. The other parties listed aren’t responsible for conveying these routine disclosures: the opposing party has no role in informing the client about the barrister’s practice, and the regulatory authority would not handle ordinary informational disclosures in this briefing context. Direct access scenarios aside, the correct channel for enabling the client to be informed is the instructing solicitors.