Which rule requires the barrister to be a sole practitioner?

• A. Rule 12
• B. Rule 16
• C. Rule 21
• D. Rule 47

Answer: (B)

The essential idea is that a barrister must practice as a sole practitioner. Rule 16 requires it, ensuring independence and safeguarding client confidentiality and the integrity of professional judgment. Under this rule, a barrister may share premises or operate from chambers with other barristers, but the practice itself cannot be run as a partnership or in any way as a firm with non-barrister partners. This separation helps prevent undue influence and maintains the autonomy central to the barrister’s role. Other rules cover different obligations—conduct, fees, advertising, or practising rights—but they do not impose the sole-practitioner requirement.