Inns of Court

The four Inns of Court in London are responsible for overseeing the education and training of barristers in England and Wales as well as having supervisory and disciplinary responsibilites in relation to this branch of the legal profession.

In the Middle Ages there were many Inns of Court in London: they were places in which barristers lodged, were trained, and carried on their profession. Today there are only four Inns of Court - the Inner Temple, the Middle Temple, Lincoln's Inn, and Gray's Inn - all situated close to the Royal Courts of Justice, the first two within the boundaries of the City of London, the last two in the borough of Camden. Each is a complex of buildings, in some respects rather like an Oxbridge college, with a great hall, a chapel, a library, and hundreds of rooms (known as 'chambers') which serve barristers as offices for carrying out their professional activities. (These days the Inns of Court no longer provide living accommodation for their members,)

A university graduate who wishes to become a barrister in the English courts must enrol as a student at one of the four Inns of Court and complete either the Bar Professional Training Course (BPTC) or the Bar Vocational Course (BVC) - courses which are not for the most part provided by the Inns of Court themselves but by other educational institutions. On successful completion of either course the student is called to the bar by his or her Inn of Court and is qualified to practise as a barrister. (For a little more detail see Called to the bar.)

Each Inn of Court has three levels of membership: students, (qualified) barristers, and Benchers. The Benchers are senior barristers - usually Queen's Counsel or High Court judges - and make up the governing body of the Inn. The senior Bencher is known as the Treasurer and holds the position for one year only.