INNS OF COURT. Voluntary noncorpo rate legal societies seated in London having their origin about the end of the 13th and the 'beginning of the 14th century. Encyc. Brit. They consist of the Inns of Court and Chancery.
The four principal Inns of Court are the Inner Temple, Middle Temple, Lincoln's Inn, and Gray's Inn.
To each of the four Inns of Court certain Inns of Chancery were attached. To the Inner Temple, Clifford's Inn, Lyon's Inn and Clements' Inn ; to the Middle Temple, the Strand Inn, New Inn and a third of which the name even is forgotten ; to Lincoln's Inn, Thavie's Inn (Thavy) and Furnival's Inn; and to Gray's Inn, Staple Inn and Barnard's Inn. In these dwelt the clerks of the chan cery who prepared the original writs issuing out of chancery, and also the younger ap prentices who acquired some elementary knowledge of civil procedure by copying those writs. Many students entered an Inn of Chancery and passed from there to an Inn of Court. In Hale's time this custom had become obsolete. These Inns of Chancery gradually fell into the hands of solicitors and now have ceased to exist. See [1902] 1 Ch. 774 ; Odg. C. L. 1424. See 17 L. Q. R. 7, citing [1902] 2 Ch. 511.
There were formerly two (if not three) Serjeant's Inns, whose membership was con fined to the .Serjeants and Judges of the Superior Courts of Westminster. They no longer exist. See Of the origin of the Inns of Court Inderwick says: "The fixture of a certain court for the trial of civil causes in London also encouraged the calling or profession of advocacy, and led to the institution of the Inns of Court, where students of the law could congregate as at a University, hear lectures on the Roman law and the laws of their country, and pre pare themselves for their future duties." King's
Peace 91. Each inn is self-governing, and quite dis tinct from all others, all, however, possessing equal privileges ; but latterly they have joined in impos ing certain educational tests for the admission of students. It is entirely in the discretion of an inn of court to admit any particular person as a mem ber. One who desires to enter must have passed an examination at some University In the British Do minion, approved by the Council of Legal Educa tion, or some other examination required by the Consolidated Regulations of the four Inns.
No person can be called to the bar, and therefore no person can become a judge, un less he is a member of an Inn of Court. The Benchers of the four Inns are said to have the power to disbar barristers of their Inn; but see BARRISTER. As to the exercise of such power, see COUNCIL or THE BAR. The Inns are not subject to the jurisdiction of the courts, but only to the control of the judges as visitors. See L. R. 18' Eq. 127.
The Benchers and Readers of the Inns were those who have publicly lectured in their Inn. They governed their Inn, under a Treasurer or Pensioner. From the Read ers, the Serjeants-at-Law were usually ap pointed. Below them came the Utter-Bar risters. The remaining or junior members were Inner-Barristers. 2 Holdsw. Hist. E. L. 423.
See Learning, Phila. Lawy. in London Courts ; Odgers, C. L.; 2 Holdsw. Hist. E. L.; [1900] 2 Ch. 511 (as to Clifford's Inn); BENCHERS ; BARRISTERS ; Bellot, Exclusion of Attorneys from Inns of Court in 26 L. Q. R. 37, and Jurisdiction of the Inns of Court over Inns of Chancery in 26 L. Q. R. 384; L. R. 18 Eq. 127 ; Bellot, Inner & Middle Temple, with bibliography.