Bencher
A bencher or Master of the Bench is a senior member of an
One member of each Inn is the Treasurer, a position which is held for one year only. While succession to the post of Treasurer was once dependent purely on seniority (or auncienty), this is no longer the case. The Treasurer is now elected. Two Readers are also elected each year.
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 in England as "outer" or "utter" barristers) were permitted to join the argument and stood outside 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".
England usage
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
Ireland usage
The governing structure of
Canadian usage
The terms bencher and treasurer are in use by the legal profession in Canada. A bencher in the Canadian context is a member of the board of directors of a provincial law society. Most benchers are lawyers, but in some provinces there are also lay benchers who represent the public interest.[1] In some provinces the head of the board is known as the treasurer.[2] Paralegals are also elected as benchers, in those provinces where law societies govern their profession.
See also
References
- ^ "Benchers | the Law Society of British Columbia".
- ^ "Benchers". Law Society of Upper Canada. Law Society of Upper Canada. Retrieved 24 February 2017.
- Halsbury's Laws of England, Barristers, para.431