A member of the Inn who holds a salaried judicial office in England and Wales; or who has been appointed a Justice of the Supreme Court, a Judge of the Court of Appeal or of the High Court of Justice, Recorder of the City of London or Common Serjeant in the City of London.
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Home › Who We Are › How We Operate › Bencher Elections › Judicial Governing Benchers
Judicial Governing Benchers
Eligibility for Nomination
Nomination and Application Procedure
Nominations for Judicial Governing Benchers may be made by any Governing Bencher in writing having particular regard to the Criteria for the Election of Benchers (BTO Appendix 5).
We recommend that all nominations are made in consultation between the Governing Bencher and the candidate and, as such, candidates are invited to complete an online application by 5pm on Friday 7 May 2021. The following information will be required for the application:
- The candidate’s personal details;
- A CV (of no more than two sides of A4);
- A photograph of candidate (high quality and resolution, suitable for professional print, JPG format);
- An undertaking that if elected the candidate will serve the Society in the ways set out in BTO 3.3 below:
A Governing Bencher is expected to:
- attend at Parliaments and Bench Tables wherever possible;
- attend meetings of committees and sub-committees of the Society to which they have been elected and meetings of other bodies to which they have been nominated by the Society;
- assist the Society in carrying out the education and training functions of the Society.
We also invite candidates to complete an optional and anonymous online Equal Opportunities Monitoring Form as part of the online application to enable the Bencher Nomination Committee and Equality, Diversity & Inclusivity Sub-Committee to monitor diversity data on the point of nomination. Successful candidates will be asked to complete a further anonymous monitoring form on election so as to track diversity statistics.
Supporting references from nominating Governing Benchers should set out the reasons in favour of the candidate being elected, having particular regard to the Criteria for the Election of Benchers (BTO Appendix 5). It is not necessary for the supporting references to be lengthy. Governing Benchers should, however, note that separate and full references are of assistance to the Bencher Nomination Committee. References should be addressed for the attention of Master Reader, Chair of the Bencher Nomination Committee, and can be uploaded through the application form or alternatively sent directly by the candidate or their proposing Governing Benchers by email to Jennie Collis Price at jcollisprice@innertemple.org.uk. All references must be received by the deadline of 5pm on Friday 7 May 2021.
Incomplete nominations or those received after the deadline of 5pm on Friday 7 May 2021 may not be considered.
Please contact the Head of the Sub-Treasurer’s Office, Jennie Collis Price, at jcollisprice@innertemple.org.uk or by telephone to 0207 797 8177 if you have any questions.
Judicial Governing Bencher Application Form
Please note, the application form will automatically save your details for up to 15 days provided that you are using the same computer or device and internet browser to access the application.
Review of Candidates
Each nomination will be considered by the Bencher Nomination Committee. When selecting candidates to be put forward for election as Judicial Governing Benchers, the Bencher Nomination Committee shall have regard to the Criteria for the Election of Benchers (BTO Appendix 5).
Candidates considered to have met the criteria will be recommended for election to the Executive Committee. If the Executive Committee so decides, such member shall be qualified for election as a Judicial Governing Bencher by Bench Table.
There is no limit to the number of Judicial Governing Benchers that can be elected.
Selection Criteria
Bench Table Order 3.3 defines the expectations of Governing Benchers as follows:
- attend at Parliaments and Bench Tables wherever possible;
- attend meetings of committees and sub-committees of the Society to which they have been elected and meetings of other bodies to which they have been nominated by the Society;
- assist the Society in carrying out the education and training functions of the Society.
A document outlining examples of the role and duties of Governing Benchers is available here.
When selecting candidates to be put forward for election as Barrister, Judicial or Other Governing Benchers, the Bencher Nomination Committee shall have, inter alia, regard to the following:
(a) Any specific need(s) that the Inn may have at that time for Benchers who possess the skills and interests necessary to perform one or more of its functions;
(b) The extent to which the candidate appears to possess skills and interests required by the Inn either generally or in relation to any specific need(s) identified under (a) above;
(c) The extent to which the candidate has demonstrated a strong likelihood that, as a Governing Bencher, they will make a positive contribution to the affairs of the Inn;
(d) The extent to which the candidate has taken, or is taking, any significant part in the affairs of the Inn or, more generally in the affairs of the legal profession, whether on the Bar Council, on circuit; in a specialist Bar association or the Judicial College; or otherwise.
As to (c), a strong likelihood that a candidate will make a positive contribution to the affairs of the Inn is best evidenced by previous participation in the affairs of the Inn or of the legal profession. However, it is recognised that, on occasion, circumstances may have prevented the candidate from such previous participation. In such cases, the Committee will take the candidate’s particular circumstances fully into account and will look for evidence of a real intention on the part of the candidate, if elected, to play an active part in the Inn’s affairs.
Bench Commons Subscription
Bench Commons is a subscription and invoicing system granted to Governing and Senior Benchers to encourage them to take part in events that are Qualifying Sessions for students and to facilitate participation in the social and collegiate life of the Inn. Bench Commons covers the cost of attendance for Benchers at all Qualifying Sessions and can also be used as a credit charging facility to pay for chargeable social events, for the purchase of merchandise or for car parking permits.
The Bench Commons quarterly subscription is currently £79 (and subject to annual RPI increases). Bench Commons bills are invoiced retrospectively at the end of each quarter in March, June, September and December and can be paid by direct debit. Bench Commons are currently under review. If you would like to speak to the Sub-Treasurer about the Bencher Commons Subscription, please do so by email to subtreasurer@innertemple.org.uk.