Knightley D’Anvers, A general abridgment of the common and most useful parts of the statute law, 1705
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“Congratulations!”, a word that frequently echoed around the Hall that day and it struck a chord with those who were on the receiving end, capturing what it meant to complete the journey and obtain this great achievement. A word accompanied with feelings of great joy and excitement as it frequently left the mouths of Benchers, family and loved ones who beamed with pride. At the top of the Hall, dressed in their gown and wigs with their certificates in hand were the newly called members of the Inn whose moment had finally come, their Call to the Bar.
The ceremony programme overall did not feel overly busy, but the time was apportioned well and in a way that made it engaging. The ceremony began with the procession of Benchers into the hall who took their seats opposite the grandparents, parents, siblings, and friends of those yet to be called. The education team headed by Christa Richmond were also present as Master Reader opened the ceremony with a speech which reminded those yet to be Called of their ethical obligations as members of the profession. As I listened to these words, I found the reflections sobering because it was a reminder that these duties were a present reality these newly called lawyers were to uphold.
One after the other, each student member was Called by name as they walked across the Hall towards Master Treasurer who Called them to the Degree of the Utter Bar. The moment felt very solemn as the entire Hall silently watched each person’s Call, which crowned off the hard work that had brought them to that moment in time. I noticed that each newly called member would then walk towards Christa Richmond and sign a book that was on the table known as the cupboard in the Hall. I was informed that the signing of this book had been a long-standing tradition of the Inn dating back many years and contained the names of every member that had ever been Called by the Inn. Knowing this it more special because these newly Called members were now part of a great history of Barristers who had gone before them and being able to sign their name in person was like cementing this great moment.
The highlight of the ceremony came when the entire Hall began to applaud the newly Called members. The applause continued for a considerable amount of time and when I thought it was about to lessen, the room maintained the same vigour and volume it began with which could be felt all over. It was the cherry on top of the ceremony and captured the celebratory atmosphere that I felt existed in the room from the start.
A small reception was held afterwards which I thought was a nice way to round off the celebrations. I saw benchers such as Master Cowell, Master Edmund and Master Treasurer conversing and congratulating newly Called members who were spread out across the room with their families. I am sure those who were able to attend their call day in person found the occasion a memorable one as the word ‘congratulations’ echoed around that room just as it had done in the Hall.
The Inn encourages all members in practice, at whatever level, to get involved in pro bono work. It is a very important public service and reminds barristers that they are practising law to help people. Such assistance is sorely needed in areas where Legal Aid is not available, where litigants in person can find the experience of conducting litigation and appearing in a court or Tribunal simply overwhelming.
Middle Temple Open Day for Schools and Universities
The Middle Temple organises an Open Day every year, usually in March, aimed at students at Sixth Form and undergraduate, postgraduate or GDL level with an interest in a career at the Bar. Experienced practitioners as well as students will be on hand to provide information on all aspects of training for and a career at the Bar.
Pupils are required by the Bar Standards Board to attend a minimum of 12 hours of practical advocacy teaching. Although practice management hours are no longer compulsory, our courses still contain practice management lectures. Dates on offer are:
- 15 - 26 January 2024 (applications currently closed, course full)
- 12 - 23 February 2024 (applications currently closed, course full)
- 8 - 19 July 2024 (applications open in the spring)
Various published sources are available on the Middle Temple, its members, and legal history and the Inns of Court in general, which may assist researchers prior to making an appointment to view archival material. They should be accessible in libraries and some have been digitised and are available on this website.
History of the Middle Temple, edited by Richard O. Havery. Hart Publishing, 2011.
The Middle Temple recognises that those who represent clients in court in the interests of justice must come from the widest possible cross-section of society, reflecting the broad spectrum of their clients’ backgrounds, and actively promotes diversity and social mobility.
The Library subscribes to electronic journals, law reports and the legal databases listed below. Access to subscription-based resources is only available in the Library, apart from Bloomsbury Professional Online, Kluwer Arbitration, Lexis Practical Guidance and Oxford Legal Research Library which can be accessed remotely, upon application to the Library, by Middle Temple members who hold a practising certificate as a barrister in England and Wales AND/OR are on the
(a) Information included in the Publication Scheme
Black History Month is an annual celebration of Black people throughout history which is celebrated across the world. It aims to highlight and celebrate the stories of prominent Black people across the globe, especially those who may have been excluded from the mainstream historical narrative.
Black History Month was first celebrated in the UK in October 1987, it was founded by Ghanaian analyst Akyaaba Addai-Sebo and has now become a permanent fixture in the UK calendar that is celebrated annually.
Middle Temple first supported the vision of having a Black History Month Qualifying Session in 2018 and it has since become an annual event.
On Monday 17 October 2022, MTYBA and MTSAheld a panel event featuring:
- Laurie-Anne Power KC from 25 Bedford Row Chambers
- Bibi Badejo from 4 Brick Court Chambers
- Stephen Lue from Garden Court Chambers
- Natasha Shotunde from Garden Court Chambers
- Patrice Blackstock - Middle Temple Diversity & Inclusion Coordinator
Image: Bibi Badejo, Laurie-Anne Power KC, Stephen Lue and Patrice Blackstock
This was truly a celebration of Black excellence, achievement and talent in all industries, not just the legal arena, with uplifting soulful music provided by singer Ruth-Ellen and pianist Elliott Adgomar. The event was organised and hosted by MTYBA Vice President, Emma Hughes and MTSA Diversity and Inclusion Officer, Leah Arthur.
Image: Singer, Ruth-Ellen
Photographer Samuel Akinwumi of Simple Sam Photography took stunning photographs and captured the essence of the event. The Hall was filled with the scent of traditional West African cuisine, from moinmoin to jollof rice, stewed beef and more provided by the phenomenal Angel Catering and Events company.
Speakers shared their battles with imposter syndrome, self-doubt and spoke about the discrimination they faced because of their race or sexuality, and the deep-rooted problems of systematic racism within the UK and abroad. The rate of school exclusions amongst Black Caribbean pupils in English schools are up to six times higher than their white peers i . This highlights the importance of speaking to young people, visiting schools and opening their minds to the prospect of a legal career. Black and Asian barristers are also underrepresented in taking silk. It is reported that in 2021, there were just 5 Black British female barristers in the King’s Counsel and 17 male Black British KCs in England and Wales. This compares to 1,303 White male and 286 White female KCs ii.
Stephen Lue recited a profound autobiographical poem which noticeably resonated with the audience. He courageously shared the pain of loss and the battle against homophobia. Lue also highlighted the development of AI tech and the way in which the technology, due to the way it is programmed, can disproportionately affect those who are Black or from ethnic minorities. Natasha Shotunde spoke about the competitive nature of the Bar, as well as the negative impact pupillage rejections had on her self-esteem and that of her peers. She emphasised the need to have resilience and a support network to encourage you to keep going and embrace the journey.
Natasha Shotunde
It was wonderful to have chambers colleagues, Jayne Harrill (Head of Four Brick Court Chambers), James Norman and Ummar Farooq Ahmad attend in support of the event and panellist Bibi Badejo. Bibi spoke about her own challenges in perfecting her craft and creating an excellent advocacy course for practitioners which enhances advocates’ delivery, style and content. This course is kindly provided to 4BC pupils but is also generously being delivered to candidates from the charity Bridging the Bar, which supports candidates from statistically underrepresented backgrounds.
It was truly a remarkable night with Jessica Inaba, the first ever Black blind barrister to be Called to the Bar in attendance! Jess explained her challenges in obtaining appropriate resources and textbooks in braille and highlighted the need for perseverance in the face of adversity.
Jessikah Inaba
A number of the panel sit on the Bar Council Race Working Group (BCRWG). Attendees were referred to the Bar Council Race Report 2021, produced by the BCRWG. The BCRWG was commissioned to produce a set of recommendations for Bar Council and Bar-based stakeholders to consider, in order to tackle race inequality at the Bar and provide insight into the issues of retention and career progression.
The panel are also involved in pioneering organisations and work that enhances diversity and equality at the Bar, builds up practitioners’ and students’ advocacy skills and legal knowledge. Laurie-Anne Power KC is part of Women in Criminal Law; Bibi Badejo founded The Advocacy Podcast: with over 90,000 views the podcast has featured a wealth of barristers, including Jerry Blackwell and Steve Schleicher, who reflected on the techniques they used to successfully prosecute in State of Minnesota v Derek Chauvin. Professor Leslie Thomas KC has also featured on the podcast, speaking about case preparation and strategy, as well as Professor Jo Delahunty KC who discussed winning an unwinnable case. Both Jo and Leslie are champions of Bridging the Bar, have done considerable work regarding diversity, and delivered lectures at Gresham College, which give immense insight into family and criminal law.
Stephen Lue, Patrice Blackstock and Natasha Shotunde
Stephen Lue is involved in the Bar Lesbian and Gay Group (BLAGG) and the Middle Temple LGBTQ+ Forum and Natasha Shotunde founded the Black Barristers Network. Patrice Blackstock, with the assistance of Middle Temple Archivist Barnaby Bryan and Master Elaine Banton, produced a BHM timeline celebrating Black Middle Templars both past and present. From Edward Cragg Haynes, the earliest known Black Middle Templar, admitted as a student in 1842, Thomas Moore Chester admitted to the inn in 1867 and Stella Thomas in 1929, to members of the present day; Baroness Scotland, Sir Trevor Carmichael KC and Leslie Thomas KC, to name a few. Click here to view the Black History Month timeline on the Middle Temple website.
A hugely powerful moment during the evening was when Laurie-Anne Power KC, who does outreach work in schools, invited Michelle Brown, Middle Temple Queen Mother Scholar and her daughter on stage and got her to proclaim “When I leave school I want to be a lawyer, study law, work hard and make mummy proud!” There was such power in giving her ownership of the moment, a platform on stage and allowing her to publicly speak of her desire to become a barrister in the future! Especially in an environment where she could see the reality of that hope manifested in a room filled with exceptionally talented Black barristers in a range of practice areas and seniority. Michelle also asked how to handle situations where you are asked to represent clients who do not wish to be represented by you because of your race. The speakers also spoke about the need for visibility and referred to the Middle Temple exhibition of portraits featuring members from diverse backgrounds in 2020-21.
A very special thanks to Benjamin Hammersley, MTYBA North Eastern Circuit Representative and MTSA incoming D&I Officer and Wajma Zazai for hosting the online Zoom platform. Thanks is also extended to MTYBA colleagues Merlene George, Hayley Blundell, Phyllida Spackman, and Daniel Holt; MTSA colleagues Anjali Keeping, Edmund Mawoko and of course, the wonderful Middle Temple staff; Sally Yorke, Alex Baguley, Oliver Muncey and Richard Frost for their assistance.
Please note the event is recorded and will be available on the Middle Temple and MTYBA websites so please tune in.