Abencher orMaster of the Bench is a senior member of anInn of Court inEngland and Wales or theInns of Court in Northern Ireland, or theHonorable Society of King's Inns inIreland. Benchers hold office for life once elected. A bencher can be elected while still abarrister (usually, but not always,King's Counsel in the UK orSenior Counsel in Ireland), in recognition of the contribution that the barrister has made to the life of the Inn or to the law. Others become benchers as a matter of course when appointed as aHigh Court judge. The Inn may elect non-members as honorary benchers – for example, distinguished judges and lawyers from other countries, eminent non-lawyers or (in the English Inns) members of theBritish Royal Family, who become known as "Royal Benchers" once elected.
One member of each Inn is theTreasurer, a position which is held for one year only. While succession to the post of Treasurer was once dependent purely on seniority (orauncienty), this is no longer the case. The Treasurer is now elected. TwoReaders are also elected each year.
Historically, the most junior student barristers were only permitted to watchmoot court trials and stood within thebar 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".
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, tocall students to the bar, and to elect other benchers. Today, the benchers of the four English Inns have common standards agreed with theBar Council. They have the formal power to discipline members of their Inn by suspending or expelling them from membership of the Inn, and by disbarring them. Disciplinary functions are now shared with the Council of the Inns of Court, theBar Standards Board and its Complaints Committee (formerly known as the Professional Conduct and Complaints Committee).
The governing structure ofKing's Inns dates from the sixteenth century and are composed of "Benchers". Originally, the benchers were composed of the Lord Chancellor, judges and senior barristers. Today, benchers include elected Bar Benchers, Judicial Benchers (includes all judges of the Superior Courts) and Honorary Benchers and they have the power to conferring the degree of Barrister-at-Law, suspending or disbarring barristers and dealing with disciplinary matters.
The termsbencher andtreasurer are in use by thelegal profession in Canada. A bencher in the Canadian context is a member of theboard 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 thetreasurer.[2] Paralegals are also elected as benchers, in those provinces where law societies govern their profession.
