ONLINE LAW:History: Introduction to Lincoln's Inn (original) (raw)

LINCOLN'S
INN

B ENCHERS
The highest rank of membership is that of the Benchers, or (more formally) the Masters of the Bench. These provide the governing body of the Inn, meeting periodically as a body in Council. In these days, there are over 150 ordinary benchers, elected for life by the Council. (In 1945 there were 56, and a century earlier 48). They all pay a substantial sum into the funds of the Inn as a fine on election. It is customary to elect as benchers all members of the Inn appointed to high judicial office, most practising Queen's Counsel of more than six or seven years standing in silk (i.e. those who have been Q.Cs for this length of time), and some seven or eight of the most distinguished practising 'luniors" of the Inn, i.e. those barristers (whatever their age) who have not become Q.C.s. In addition, a small number of members of the Inn who, though not practising at the Bar, have attained important positions in other walks of life may be elected "additional benchers", with all the rights and duties of ordinary benchers except that they cannot hold office in the Inn. There are also over 30 honorary benchers who have all the privileges of ordinary benchers save that they can neither vote nor hold office. Any person of sufficient distinction may be elected an honorary bencher, despite not being a member of the Inn or even a lawyer.
Benchers take precedence in the Inn according to the order of their call to the Bench, irrespective of any office or honour they may hold. Thus when in 1979 a portrait of five benchers holding high office was commissioned, the Prime Minister, who was called to the Bar in 1953 and was elected an honorary bencher in 1975, stood 91st in seniority, and the other four, in order of precedence as judges, stood respectively 9th, 11th, 3rd and 28th as benchers.
In addition to honorary, ordinary and additional benchers, the Inn has a Royal Bencher, H.R.H. Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon. Previous Royal Benchers of the Inn have included H.R.H. Prince Albert, H. M. King George V, H. R.H. Prince George, Duke of Kent, and H. M. Queen Mary, who in November, 1943, became the first woman to be a Bencher of any Inn.