Education
- Our vision for the future
- Call to the Bar
- International Practice Panel
- Dr Ivy Williams, An Enduring Inspiration to Women Lawyers
- Gilds and Things
- The History of The Inner Temple through its Treasures
- Human Rights in Britain and France: From Thomas Becket to the French Revolution
- Law in a Time of Plague - Was the Law a Good Doctor
- Lawyers and Diplomats
- The Selden Society: John Selden and Legal History
- The Selden Society: The Fire Courts
- The Smirkes and The Inner Temple
- Treasures from the Library
- William Crashawe's Library
- Munich – Why?
- Master H Meets...Again
- Have We "Had Enough of Experts"?
- Race and the Legal Profession
- Giving Judges a Voice in Democracies
- Experts: Love or Loath? The Involvement of Experts in Legal Proceedings
- The Executive and the Courts in the Constitution
- Lawyer or Politician: What is the Attorney General?
- Memory as Evidence
- Politics and the Law
- Previous Lecture Series and Speakers
- Proof in International Criminal Trials
- 'Sales' on Retention of Title Terms
- Show me the money!
- Forensic Identification from the Hand
- Brain Imaging as Evidence
- The Bar of Ireland, Brexit and the Common Law
- The History of the Law Officers
- A Public Health Approach to Equality Law
- Forensic Document Examination - The Science Today
- The Absolute Ban on Assisted Dying and Lessons from Canada
- Calling It Out: Professionals, their Regulators, Equity and Fairness
- The Limits of Fiduciary Rules
- The Predicament and Agency of Refugees
- The Role of the Medical Examiner
- The Wild and Ridiculous Doctrine of Equality
- What Does It Mean to Be Anti-Racist in a Profession Full of Privileged People?
- Assisted Dying
- Asylum and Immigration: Do Sovereign Island Nations have a Duty to Provide Refuge?
- Is it Better to Review or Monitor Terror Laws? The UK and Australian Positions Compared
- Is Our Adversarial System Fit for Purpose?
- Ukraine War: Peace-making Ahead – Traditional Methods of Accountability or New Solutions?
- Britain's Unwritten Constitution
- The Crime of Ecocide
- Global Responses to the Forcibly Displaced
- Does the Bar Need to Communicate and Market Itself More in the Modern World?
- Is Anything More Needed to Ensure Freedom of Speech?
- Is There a Case for Anonymity in Social Media?
- Is the Presumption of Innocence Alive and Well?
- Peace vs Justice
- Prison Reform
- The Rule of Law in Times of International Conflict
- Should our Constitution Protect Against Party Elected Leaders?
- Should UK Judges and ex-Judges Be Sitting in Hong Kong?
- Special Gandhi Lecture
- What Does a Master of the Bench Do?
- Frequently asked questions
Call to the Bar
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There are four Call ceremonies each year; Hilary (March), Trinity (July), Deferred Trinity (October) and Michaelmas (November).
To be considered eligible to be called to the Bar an individual must have successfully completed the following:
- academic component of training
- vocational component of Bar training (Bar training course)
- obtained the requisite number of Qualifying Sessions
- undergone the necessary fit and proper person checks (including obtaining a ‘Standard’ Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check and, if necessary, the international equivalents)
An applicant can submit their Call to the Bar application before meeting all of the requirements above. Please read the guidelines for further information.
Call Dates
The 2023/24 Call ceremony dates are below:
(Slide across to see application deadline for each ceremony)
Call Ceremony | Date | Deadline to apply |
---|---|---|
Trinity Ceremony | Thursday 27 July 2023 |
Friday 30 June 2023 |
Deferred Trinity Ceremony |
Thursday 12 October 2023 |
Friday 15 September 2023 |
Michaelmas Ceremony |
Thursday 23 November 2023 |
Friday 20 October 2023 |
Hilary Ceremony | Thursday 21 March 2024 |
Friday 23 February 2024 |
Applying for Call
The Inn is currently accepting applications for the following ceremonies up to the deadline:
- Hilary Ceremony
If you intend to be called to the Bar at one of the ceremonies listed above, please read the guidelines below that will explain how to submit an application.
Call to the Bar Application Guidelines 2023
Qualifying Sessions
All students who commence the Bar course on or after the 1 June 2020, and have not attended a Qualifying Session prior to that date, will need to abide by the new requirements stated in the Qualifying Sessions Framework (further information regarding the requirements can be found on the following webpage). This requirement to meet the Qualifying Sessions Framework may also apply to Transferring Legal Professionals if stated in their 'Admission to the Bar' letter issued by the Bar Standards Board.
For students who commenced the Bar course prior to 1 June 2020, or students who attended Qualifying Sessions prior 1 June 2020, transitional arrangements will apply to you. Details of the transitional arrangements can be found under paragraph 39 of the Joint Inns' Education and Qualification Rules.
The Call to the Bar ceremony itself will still be classified as a Qualifying Session up until 30 June 2021. The Call ceremony will not count as a Qualifying Session after this date.
Qualifying Sessions are valid for 5 years and it is the responsibility of all applicants to ensure they have met the requirements and obtained the requisite number of valid Qualifying Sessions at the point of Call. You can monitor this by logging in to your members area on the Inner Temple website.
If you are not a current Bar Training Course student, or you were recently admitted to the Inn as a Transferring Legal Professional, please contact the Education & Training Department directly at qs@innertemple.org.uk to ensure you are added to the mailing list for members currently attending Qualifying Sessions.
Criminal Record Checks
The Bar Standards Board requires that all individuals, including Transferring Legal Professionals, being called to the Bar after 1 July 2021 undergo a Standard UK Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) criminal record check. Additionally, those who have resided in a country/countries outside of the UK for 12 continuous months or more, or 12 months cumulatively, at any point during the 5 years preceding their application for Call, will need to undergo the equivalent international criminal record check/s.
The criminal record checks form part of the ‘fit and proper person checks’ required prior to Call to the Bar. A detailed overview of the requirement and how to obtain the checks, including a breakdown of associated costs, can be found in the Criminal Record Checks Factsheet, which can be downloaded below.
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the BSB has introduced a very limited waiver in relation to obtaining criminal records checks for Call. The full policy and application form can be downloaded below.
Also available to download below are the following documents:
- The Inn's supplementary Privacy Notice regarding background checks
- The Inn's Policy Statement – Treatment of Ex-offenders
Call to the Bar Costs
Item | Cost |
---|---|
Standard UK DBS Check | £18.00 |
ID Verification | £14.40 |
Call Fee | £75.00 |
Call Reception Ticket (Callee) |
£22.00 |
Call Reception Ticket (Guest) |
£28.00 |
Transferring Solicitors, Qualified Foreign Lawyers & Academics
Information and application for Transferring Solicitors, Qualified Foreign Lawyers & Academics
Find out moreTransferring Solicitors, Qualified Foreign Lawyers & Academics
Information and application for Transferring Solicitors, Qualified Foreign Lawyers & Academics
Find out moreStructure of Call Night
On the day of the Call ceremony, those being called to the Bar must arrive at the Inner Temple Treasury Building at 5pm to register, whilst their guests should head directly to the Temple Church (or Inner Temple Hall for the Hilary ceremony) to take their seats. The ceremony begins promptly at 6pm, when the Masters of the Bench process into the Church/Hall.
The ceremony is followed by a reception in the Treasury Building for those who have been called, their guests and the Masters of the Bench. The evening usually ends at approximately 8.30pm.
Dress for Call
Students being called must wear the following:
- A dark suit. A dark dress or skirt is also acceptable but should be no shorter than knee
length and must be worn with a jacket. - Dark, formal footwear.
- A court shirt and bands OR a court shirt and collar OR a court bib (more detailed guidance
listed below):
1. a tunic court shirt with attachable wing collar AND starched bands
2. a regular plain white wing-collared shirt AND starched bands
3. a court bib (aka collarette) over a white top
4. white tunic or mandarin court shirt with ladies’ collar
5. a black dress with a collar
6. a tunic court shirt with attachable wing collar AND starched bands
7. a regular plain white wing-collared shirt AND starched bands - A gown (this will be supplied by the Inn, free of charge, so please do not bring your own).
Please note, wigs are not worn during the ceremony at the Inner Temple. However, if you
opt to have your photograph professionally taken then you will have the opportunity to
wear one whilst being photographed.
The bands and shirts may be bought from a number of tailors including:
Please contact the tailors directly for any questions on dress.
Guests
As a result of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and data sharing protocol we have with the BSB, we share member information with the BSB for the stated purposes set out in the MoU data sharing protocol. For more information on how the BSB uses your information, whether obtained from us or otherwise, please read their Privacy Statement.