In 1965, 58 years ago, I wrote an article urging reform of the system requiring Bar students to eat dinners in the Inn as part of the qualifying process (The Lawyer, 1965, Vol.8, Nos 2&3, pp21-27. It was that little journal’s last issue). The article proposed ways in which the dining requirement could be turned into a meaningful educational experience. However, those proposals are not my topic here.
I acknowledged that what I was proposing would require some expenditure, and that I did not know whether the Inns could afford it because they did not publish their accounts. That remains the position today. Historical accounts can be accessed, but a barrister will only have access to his or her Inns’ modern-day accounts if they are members of the Inn’s Bench Finance Committee.
Shrouded in mystery
In 1854, the Royal Commission on the Inns of Court reported extensively on their finances. I suggested it might be time to set
