Bencher

Bencher
Combined arms of the four Inns of Court. Clockwise from top left: Lincoln's Inn, Middle Temple, Gray's Inn, Inner Temple.

A bencher or Master of the Bench is a senior member of an Inn of Court in England and Wales. Benchers hold office for life once elected. A bencher can be elected while still a barrister (usually, but not always, Queen's Counsel), in recognition of the contribution that the barrister has made to the life of the Inn or to the law. Others become benchers as a matter of course when appointed as a High Court Judge. The Inn may elect non-members as honorary benchers - for example, distinguished judges and lawyers from other countries, eminent non-lawyers or members of the British Royal Family, who become known as "Royal Benchers" once elected.

The most senior bencher of each Inn is the Treasurer, a position which is held for one year only. While succession to the post of Treasurer may once have been dependent purely on seniority, this is no longer the case. The Treasurer is elected.

Contents

Etymology

Historically, the most junior student barristers were only permitted to watch moot court trials and stood within the bar of the moot courtroom. More qualified barristers (known as "outer" or "utter" barristers) were permitted to join the argument and stood outside of the bar. The most senior barristers were permitted to sit on the bench at moots. This third class of barristers became known as "Benchers" or "Masters of the Bench".

Powers and duties

The practices and regulations vary from Inn to Inn, but the benchers are the ultimate governing body of the relevant Inn. The benchers govern the finances of the Inn, and they alone have the authority to admit students to the Bar, to call students to the Bar, and to elect other benchers. Today, the benchers of the four Inns have common standards agreed with the Bar Council. They have the power to discipline members of their Inn by suspending or expelling them from membership of the Inn, and by disbarring or disbenching them. Disciplinary duties are now shared with the Council of the Inns of Court, the Bar Standards Board and its Complaints Committee (formerly known as the Professional Conduct and Complaints Committee).

Canadian usage

The terms "bencher" and "treasurer" originated in England, but they are also in use by the legal profession in Canada, for example by the Law Society of Upper Canada and the Law Society of British Columbia.

See also

References

External links


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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Bencher — Bench er, n. 1. (Eng. Law) One of the senior and governing members of an Inn of Court. [1913 Webster] 2. An alderman of a corporation. [Eng.] Ashmole. [1913 Webster] 3. A member of a court or council. [Obs.] Shak. [1913 Webster] 4. One who… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • bencher — index jurist Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006 …   Law dictionary

  • bencher — [ben′cher] n. a person who sits on a bench, as a judge or member of the British Parliament …   English World dictionary

  • Bencher — Recorded in several forms including Bence, Bench, Bencher, and the dialectals Bunchar and Buncher, this is an English surname. It has two possible origins. The first is from the pre medieval Latin personal name Benedictus, meaning blessed . This… …   Surnames reference

  • bencher — One of the senior or governing members of one of the English Inns of Court. As soon as a member has been appointed king s counsel or queen s counsel, it is customary for his fellow members to elect him as a bencher …   Ballentine's law dictionary

  • bencher — noun Date: 15th century one who sits on or presides at a bench …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • bencher — /ben cheuhr/, n. (in England) 1. a senior member of an Inn of Court. 2. a member of the House of Commons. 3. a person who handles an oar; rower. [1525 35; BENCH + ER1] * * * …   Universalium

  • bencher — bench·er || bentʃə n. judge …   English contemporary dictionary

  • bencher — noun Law (in the UK) a senior member of any of the Inns of Court …   English new terms dictionary

  • bencher — bench·er …   English syllables

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