Onwards and Upwards
From the Treasurer
The start of the new academic and legal year always brings new opportunities and fresh challenges.
For those of you about to begin your Bar course it will mean, perhaps, a new place to live, a new environment in which to learn, and a new and more practical way of thinking about the law.
For those of you starting pupillage this autumn, it will mean entering the world of work with its very different pressures from the world of study. You will also have the delicate task of building a relationship with your pupil supervisors. My own pupil supervisor, Henry Brook (later a Bencher of the Inn, a Lord Justice of Appeal, and Vice President of the Civil Division of the Court of Appeal) was one of the best and kindest of men: but I remember how completely out of my depth I felt in my first weeks of pupillage. Even some of the brightest and most confident of the young barristers that I meet now tell me how overwhelming the beginning of their pupillage year was for them. If you too feel a little overwhelmed, do not despair. It is worth persevering. You will soon find your feet, and the Bar is a career like no other.
For those of you starting your career as new tenants in chambers, it will mean finding your way to new courts and robing rooms, discovering how to navigate the vagaries of the listing system, and learning – now by doing rather than just by watching and listening – how to persuade judges and juries. It will mean being trusted to help people in trouble. It will also mean learning how to win and to lose in court with good grace.
For the Inn, it will be the start of another year fulfilling our obligation under the Charter of 1608 “to serve for all time to come for the accommodation and education of the students and practitioners of the laws of the realm”
On a practical level, the Inn’s loyal and dedicated staff have spent the time when
the rest of us have been on holiday in cleaning and repairing the Inn’s premises and preparing for the term ahead.
Those charged with the governance of the Inn have also spent at least some of the summer thinking about the challenges ahead. The Bar Standards Board has a new chair, and a new chair will shortly be appointed to the Legal Services Board. We do not yet know what plans they may have for the profession, but we need to be ready to respond constructively to them, whatever they are.
Now that our hugely successful Project Pegasus is finally behind us, we need to plan to make the rest of our estate fit for the economic, climatic and technological challenges of the rest of the 21st century. And now that the working party set up by COIC and the Bar Council to consider the timing of Call – whether it should take place, as now, at the conclusion of the Bar Course, or should be deferred until completion of some or all of the required period of pupillage - has finally delivered its report, the Inns will this autumn have to consider their position in relation to this controversial question.
This will be my last term as Treasurer of the Inn. Among what I hope will be the highlights of the coming term will be the unveiling and hanging in Hall of the portrait
by Keith Breeden of Master Carr, the Lady Chief Justice.
By happy coincidence my wife, Ginny, took up office as Master of the City of London Solicitors’ Company (and ex officio President of the City of London Law Society) at the end of June, so our terms of office currently overlap. We have therefore decided to celebrate this by holding a joint dinner in Hall on 19 November for the members of the Inn and the members of the Company, at which the Reader-Elect Master May (newly promoted to the Court of Appeal) will be the guest speaker. It will be a good opportunity for the two sides of the profession to learn about the other side’s customs and traditions.
I also hope to make this term as musical as those that have gone before. The tenor Robert Murray will sing for us at Benchers’ Night in October. The Evensong preceding our Grand Day dinner in November will feature a performance of the Te Deum composed by my wife’s late father, Philip Cannon FRCM, for the Quincentenary of St George’s Chapel, Windsor. The trumpeters will then perform a fanfare at the start of
dinner which the Inn has commissioned from the Scottish composer, Martin Suckling. After dinner, the world-famous soprano, Lucy Crowe OBE, will give a short recital, with Anna Tilbrook as her accompanist.
In the middle of all this, the Sub-Treasurer and I will travel to Washington at the end of October for the American Inns of Court Celebration of Excellence. These visits (like the visits we made earlier in the year to the Commonwealth Law Association conference, to Malaysia, and to Singapore) have real practical importance in supporting the rule of law, particularly in those jurisdictions where its foundations are less secure. As Treasurers have said before, it is easy to underestimate just how much the Inn’s support is valued in such places, and the importance of the Inn as a standard-bearer of the common-law tradition.
I am very much looking forward to the coming term. I hope that you are too.
Richard Salter KC Treasurer
New Benchers
We are delighted to announce that the following have been elected as Masters of the Bench of The Inner Temple:
Governing Bencher Elections 2025
BARRISTER GOVERNING BENCHERS
Stephen Akinsanya, called 1993, 15NBS Chambers
Grace Brown, called 1995, Garden Court Chambers
Katherine Duncan, called 2014, Coram Chambers
The Rt Hon The Lord Murray of Blidworth, called 2000, 39 Essex Chambers
Tamara Oppenheimer KC, called 2002, Fountain Court Chambers
Ian Mullarkey, called 2003, KBW
Baldip Singh, called 2013, No5 Chambers
Hannah Smith, called 2005, General Pharmaceutical Council
JUDICIAL GOVERNING BENCHER
Her Honour Judge Boye, called 1989
His Honour Judge Richard Grimshaw, called 2010
His Honour Judge Julian Smith, called 1991
READER-ELECT FOR 2026
Master Tracy Ayling (Tracy Ayling KC) has been elected Reader-Elect for 2026.
Announcements
For our full list of appointments, please go to innertemple.org.uk/appointments
HM The King has approved the appointments as Lord and Lady Justices of Appeal of:
Master Juliet May (The Hon Mrs Justice May DBE)
Master Ian Dove (The Hon Mr Justice Ian Dove)
His Honour Judge Carter (Richard Carter) has been appointed to be a Specialist Civil Circuit Judge based at Leeds Business & Property Court, with effect from 15 September 2025.
Master James Dingemans (The Rt Hon Lord Justice Dingemans) has been appointed as the Senior President of Tribunals.
Master Samantha Hillas (Samantha Hillas KC) has been elected Leader of the Northern Circuit.
Master Mel Inman (His Honour Judge Melbourne Donald Inman KC) retires as a Senior Circuit Judge with effect from 1 July 2025.
Master Samantha Leigh (Her Honour Judge Leigh) has been appointed as Resident Judge at Ipswich Crown Court for a period of four years commencing from 16 November 2025.
Her Honour Judge McCabe (Louise McCabe) has been appointed to be a Senior Circuit Judge, Designated Family Judge, based at Birmingham Civil & Family Justice Centre, with effect from 1 December 2025.
Master Paul Sloan (His Honour Judge Sloan KC) retires as a Senior Circuit Judge with effect from 5 August 2025.
His Honour Judge Todd (Martin Todd) has been appointed as the Designated Family Judge for Humberside with effect from 29 August 2025.
Big Picnic
29 June
Summer Party
10 July
29 September
We celebrated the unveiling of the Lady Chief Justice’s portrait in Hall at the reception. Painted by Keith Breeden RP, the portrait celebrates the appointment of Master Sue Carr as the first woman to serve as the head of the judiciary of England and Wales since the inception of the office of Lord Chief Justice in the 13th century. It also marks the start of a project to improve the pictorial gender balance in Hall. As Master Carr said in her speech, “Onwards and Upwards!”
Bar Guest Night
Friday 10 October
Champagne reception followed by a three course dinner and fine wines, with after dinner music from Rio Brass.
Benchers and Members of Hall may invite any number of guests, subject to capacity.
Book a table of 10 guests for the price of 9 guests (Group of 10 ticket)
DRESS CODE Black tie
TO BOOK
innertemple.org.uk/bgn
Open to: Benchers/Members of Hall and their Guests: £110 Group of 10 guests: £990*
Under 7 years’ Call and their guests: £77*
*Please see website for full details
BOOKINGS CLOSE ON 2 OCTOBER
HISTORY SOCIETY
Wednesday 29 October 2025
Paradise Lost and Found
The Inner Temple’s intriguing purchase of an early (1688) edition of Paradise Lost formerly owned by the Royal Master of Revels, Charles Killigrew (1655-1725), and annotated with the names of numerous members of the Inn, including the names of four English Dukes with stage directions, indicates that John Milton’s great work was once performed at the Inn.
On 29 October, the Inn will host a symposium with Professor Joe Moshenka and Dr William Poole of Oxford University in conversation with our current Master of Revels, Dr Tom Kinninmont. They will explore the life of John Milton and the significance of Paradise Lost throughout the ages, including the special importance of the 1688 fourth – and first illustrated – edition
BOOK innertemple.org.uk/paradiselost 020 7797 8264
TICKETS
In Person £13; Online Free
WHERE In person and livestreamed from The Inner Temple
WHEN 6.30pm – 7.30pm
Wellbeing at the Inn
Heidi Stonecliffe Master of Wellbeing
In the high-stakes world of the profession, the wellbeing of barristers is no longer a peripheral concern—it is central to the sustainability, integrity, and effectiveness of the profession. As barristers we operate in environments marked by intense pressure, emotional strain, and intellectual rigor. Whether navigating complex criminal trials or high-profile civil disputes, we are routinely exposed to distressing material, adversarial dynamics, and long hours. This can lead to burnout, anxiety, depression, and even vicarious trauma. The nature of the work demands not only legal acumen but emotional resilience. Without adequate support, even the most capable professionals can find themselves overwhelmed.
Why Wellbeing Matters
Ultimately, wellbeing is not just a personal concern—it is a professional obligation. If wellbeing is viewed in this way rather than an add on or a ‘fluffy’ aside, we will undoubtedly see a stronger profession with people progressing and doing better for themselves and their clients. Wellbeing is not a luxury—it is a professional necessity. Poor mental health can impair judgment, reduce advocacy quality, and compromise client care. It can also erode collegiality and diminish the capacity for ethical decision-making. We need to be fit to serve our clients, uphold justice, and maintain the highest ethical standards. Supporting
the mental and physical health of the profession is essential to preserving the integrity of the legal system itself. If we embrace this cultural shift, we will preserve the profession we love. I wholly agree and endorse the observations made by Master Barbara Mills in her inaugural speech in January this year when she stated that wellbeing must be front and centre of any barrister’s practice and seen on a par with having an accountant or professional insurance. It cannot and should not be left to a time when an individual is in crisis to be addressed.
The prevailing culture often places the burden of recovery on individuals, rather than addressing the structural factors that contribute to poor wellbeing.
Supporting wellbeing is also a matter of retention and inclusion. Without it, the Bar risks losing talented advocates— especially those from underrepresented backgrounds—who may find the profession unsustainable. A healthy, inclusive culture is essential for attracting and retaining the next generation of legal professionals.
Initiatives Making a Difference
The Bar Council’s Wellbeing at the Bar programme is a leading example of proactive support. It offers confidential assistance services, mental health training, Chambers recognition schemes and resources for individuals and teams. The initiatives aim to normalize conversations
The prevailing culture often places the burden of recovery on individuals, rather than addressing the structural factors that contribute to poor wellbeing.
around wellbeing and embed it into the fabric of our professional lives. Coupled with the initiatives being implemented by the Circuits and the Specialist Bar Associations, Wellbeing is being prioritised in a way that will enable our future practitioners to flourish and our more senior members to change the narrative on their own practices.
Inner Temple’s Wellbeing Initiative
With all of this in mind, I was delighted to be appointed as Assistant Master of Wellbeing to Master Rachel Spearing in 2022. These were big shoes to fill but, having taken over as Master of Wellbeing at the beginning of 2025, I am determined to continue her legacy, Barbara Mills’ vision and The Inner Temple’s groundbreaking focus on Wellbeing. We are the first of the four Inns to appoint a specific Master of Wellbeing and I hope to lead by example so that this becomes the norm across all four Inns.
As Master of Wellbeing my focus is on all practitioners who are a member of the Inn, from pupils through to seasoned barristers. I speak from personal experience when I say that none of us are immune to issues effecting our wellbeing. I hope to see more senior practitioners setting their own examples to those entering the profession when it comes to taking wellbeing seriously and would encourage anyone, however junior or senior, to seek out the resources the Inn can offer or to speak to me about the resources available.
Wellbeing is being prioritised in a way that will enable our future practitioners to flourish and our more senior members to change the narrative on their own practices.
My remit is wide ranging. It encompasses many aspects of wellbeing and reflective practice including speaking at the Practice Management Course to new pupils each January and embedding wellbeing as a core skill, being a point of contact for those who are experiencing issues or are in crisis during their pupillage or early years of practice, providing drop in sessions for those participating in our Pupillage Advocacy Weekends (the next weekend is in October so do sign up for a slot!) and working with our excellent team at the Inn to provide seminars and learning about common issues effecting the profession at all stages of their career.
Future Events
For any practitioner, our wellbeing offer is open to you. I would encourage anyone, regardless of seniority to join us at one of our upcoming events. This year there will be a much needed focus on wellbeing for our Established Practitioners which follows on the heels of the hugely successful Movers and Returners Conference in May 2025.
In addition, the wonderful Master Bibi Badejo (The Advocacy Podcast, 4 PB) will be speaking with Annette Henry KC to discuss wellbeing at the Bar on 16 October 2025. Details to follow but this is sure to be a popular event. Bibi is a skilled advocacy trainer and senior Family Law practitioner, and Annette practised for many years at the Criminal Bar before becoming a Human Givens Consultant and a qualified psychotherapist (owning your wellbeing - home). She knows only too well the pressures placed on the profession and, importantly, how to prioritise wellbeing with a thriving practice.
I am also working with Master Lisa Wilson who is the chair of the Women in Criminal Law (WICL) Policy Committee and with our fantastic Head Porter Ryan Ross to put together a series of self defence classes for practitioners in the coming months.
I would welcome any other ideas practitioners, young, old, junior or senior, have for future events and my inbox is always open for a chat or for you to raise any concerns you have in the strictest confidence.
I look forward to seeing you at future events and at the Inn.
Social Context of the Law
TUESDAY 18 NOVEMBER Is the Rise in Mass Litigation distorting our Legal System and the UK Economy?
Speakers To be announced
EQUIVALENT TO 1HR CPD
TO BOOK
innertemple.org.uk/masslitigation
COST
In person £13 Online £10.50
ENQUIRIES members@innertemple.org.uk 020 7797 8250
WHERE
In-person and livestreamed from The Inner Temple
WHEN Lecture: 6pm – 7.20pm
Friday 17 October
7pm
Reader’s Lecture Nights 2025
Wednesday 8 October
The Rt Hon Sir Robert Buckland KBE KC
Visiting Professor at LSE Law School, Senior Counsel and Head of Policy at Payne Hicks Beach LLP, former Conservative MP and Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice from 2019 to 2021. Inner Temple Bencher.
The Future of AI in the Justice System: A Principled and Practical Approach
Wednesday 12 November
The Rt Hon The Baroness Carr of Walton-on-the-Hill
Lady Chief Justice of England and Wales. Inner Temple Bencher
To Prorogue or Not to Prorogue – Miller II and Mackinnon v Canada
innertemple.org.uk/oct25lecture innertemple.org.uk/nov25lecture
COST
In person £13; Online £10.50
ENQUIRIES qs@innertemple.org.uk TO BOOK
Equivalent to 1hr CPD
WHERE From The Inner Temple and livestreamed WHEN 6pm – 7.30pm
19 November, 7pm
JOIN US IN MANCHESTER
Northern Circuit Dinner in Manchester
Friday 14 November
7pm – 10.30pm Manchester Hall
Join the Treasurer, Richard Salter KC, and members of the Inn at Manchester Hall.
This is a great opportunity for those with an affiliation to the Northern Circuit to meet or catch up with members of the Bench, Bar, Pupils and Students.
TO BOOK
innertemple.org.uk/manchester
TO BOOK
innertemple.org.uk/citysolicitors
Reception: 7pm Dinner: 7.30pm - 10.30pm Members may bring a guest
Dinner to celebrate the Amity between the Inn, the City of London Solicitors’ Company and the City of London Law Society.
Reception: 7pm Dinner: 7.30pm – 10.30pm
Open to: Members and their guests
The Lady Chief Justice of England & Wales Baroness Sue Carr and Chair of the Bar of England & Wales Barbara Mills KC
LOCATION_ON In Person
CALENDAR_CLOCK Tuesday 28 October, 6pm
GROUP Open to Members of the Four Inns PHONELINK innertemple.org.uk/inconversation
SUNDAY 9 NOVEMBER 12.30PM FOR 1PM Remembrance Sunday Lunch
Members, Church congregation and their family and friends are welcome to Remembrance Sunday Lunch after Choral Mattins at 10.50am for 11am.
TICKETS: Benchers, Called Members, Members of other Inns and guests: £50 each Students/Under 7 years’ Call and guests £31.50 each
OPEN TO: Members of the Inns and their guests TO BOOK: innertemple.org.uk/remembrance
ENQUIRIES: members@innertemple.org.uk
Education & Training
PASS Outreach Programme
PASS is our flagship outreach programme designed to support high achieving aspiring barristers from under-represented backgrounds by providing experiences and developing skills that will support a career at the Bar. PASS was established in 2012 by The Inner Temple and partner chambers and organisations across a range of practice areas.
Most scholars on PASS will have a minipupillage placement arranged for them, with reasonable travel and accommodation costs covered by the Inn. Many students start PASS having been unable to undertake a mini-pupillage due to prohibitive travel costs to even get to chambers, let alone the costs of traveling to various courts. Each year, we gain a few more partners who are willing to offer one or more scholars a mini-pupillage. Some of our new partner organisations providing mini-pupillage placements include several branches of the Crown Prosecution Service, offering scholars an insight into the life of an employed criminal practitioner; one scholar cited this experience with the CPS as the reason they were able to excel in their pupillage interview and secure pupillage.
Over the course of the academic year, in addition to the provision of a minipupillage placement, PASS scholars are provided with a range of in-person and online events, designed to develop their advocacy and other soft skills in advance of starting the Bar Course. Scholars are also invited to attend Dinner to the
Universities, our annual dinner for university undergraduates. This year, for the first time, we invited our scholars to observe the Pupils’ Mock Trials, held in November at the Royal Courts of Justice, to see students a few years ahead of them in their journey to the Bar engage in advocacy and receive feedback from the Inn’s Advocacy Trainers.
If you are in practice and would like to volunteer your time to support PASS or any other outreach event, or want to check that your chambers/organisation is offering a mini-pupillage placement to a PASS scholar, please email the Outreach Team outreach@ innertemple.org.uk
We always receive lovely feedback from our PASS scholars and have picked out a few highlights.
“Inspired a newfound confidence in me to pursue a career at the Bar, and helped me understand that people that look like me, and which come from similar backgrounds, can be successful as an advocate.”
“I think there’s a better than 50% chance I wouldn’t have been offered pupillage without the PASS programme.”
“I had the chance to speak with barristers and judges who were incredibly generous with their time and advice, and it made the Bar feel so much more approachable. I developed my confidence, advocacy skills, and understanding of the day-today realities of practice.”
Artificial Intelligence Events for Established Barristers
This autumn the Inn is continuing its exploration into the fascinating and fastdeveloping field of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and its impact on the legal profession. This follows on from the flagship conference held in November 2023, New Frontiers in Evidence, which brought together legal, academic and technical experts from across the globe to examine the increasing use of open source and user generated evidence in courts, and the impact of AI on the reliability of such evidence, with a keynote speech given by Elliot Rogers, founder of Bellingcat. An advocacy training session held in July 2025, also focused on this topic, bringing in real-life experts to act as expert witnesses for a fictional case using opensource evidence, including Rowena De Silva (Airwars), Sam Dubberley (Human Rights Watch), LibbyMcAvoy (Mnemonic), Basile Simon (co-founder, Airwatch).
Established practitioner members of the Inn conducted examinations-in-chief and crossexaminations of these experts, before their advocacy was reviewed by the Inn’s senior trainers using the Hampel Method.
In the new academic year, an in-person seminar was held at the Inn on 25 September, in which a panel of legal experts in the field of AI spoke on the key risks and opportunities of the topic that will affect practising barristers, judges, students and legal academics in the years to come, and will need to consider in their careers, including regulatory frameworks, ethics, tools and training. The panel consisted of Raquel Vázquez Llorente (AI Policy Manager, Google), David O’Mahony (7BR), Gavin Sheridan (co-founder and CEO, Vizlegal), and Evie-Christie Vermynck (Tech Transactions; Data, Privacy and Security partner, King & Spalding). and was chaired by Prof Yvonne McDermott Rees (Swansea University.)
This session will be followed by series of three webinars focusing respectively on AI and its impact on the Bar, AI Regulations and Ethics, and AI Tools For Practice. Bookings are now open via innertemple. org.uk/cpd-upcomingsessions
Chairing all the sessions will be Master Yvonne McDermott Rees, Academic Bencher and Professor of Law at Swansea University.
(L-R): Master Yvonne McDermott Rees, Raquel Vázquez Llorente (AI Policy Manager, Google), David O’Mahony (7BR), Evie-Christie Vermynck (Tech Transactions; Data, Privacy and Security partner, King & Spalding), Gavin Sheridan (co-founder and CEO, Vizlegal)
Changes to the Inner Temple Bar Course Scholarship Application Process
Each year the Inner Temple provides over £2,000,000 funding to Bar Course and GDL Scholars. These awards are lifechanging to those who receive them, and the Inn has always been proud to support those who are starting their journeys to the Bar in this important way. The Inn remains committed to providing this support and it is essential that our processes are continually evaluated to ensure they are robust and fair. In the past, we have adapted to many different circumstances such as the closure of the Inn as part of Project Pegasus and the COVID-19 pandemic. In recent years we have faced application numbers dramatically increasing and the increased use of artificial intelligence (AI), and as such it is important that we continue to adapt.
After very careful consideration the Scholarships and Outreach Committee, with the support of a Task and Finish Group made up of Inn members, have decided to introduce a shortlisting paper sift into the Bar Course application process, meaning that applicants will not automatically be given an interview. This decision has been made with the best interests of candidates being at the forefront of our minds. It has been based on the recommendations made by an independent Equality and Diversity Review of the scholarships application process, which the Inn commissioned in 2024, alongside application data and feedback from panellists and candidates. Applications have steadily been increasing over recent years and in 2025, for the first time, the Inn received more than 500 applications. In the context of these increasing numbers, it is essential to ensure that the application process remains sustainable and has enough capacity to assess candidates fairly.
The Inn is still committed to ensuring that as far as is possible, all applicants who stand within a reasonable chance of securing a scholarship have the opportunity to attend an interview, with cut off scores being set based on careful examination of recent application data.
Additionally, in line with our commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, contextual information and mitigating circumstances will play an essential role at the paper sift stage.
By introducing a paper sift the Inn will be able to increase the amount of time interview panels have to consider the final scores of each candidate following an interview, which is something which our volunteers have frequently requested. This will benefit both applicants and our volunteer panellists.
The Inn is also making all Bar Course interviews in-person, unless exceptional circumstances make attending an interview in person impossible. This decision has been made due to the increasing risk of generative AI use impacting online interviews. The Inner Temple are conscious of the cost and time involved in attending in-person, and as such we will also be offering candidates the option of attending their interview in Leeds, as an alternative to London.
The Chair of the Scholarships and Outreach Committee, Master Saira Kabir Sheikh, notes that “These changes will ensure our scholarship process remains fair, rigorous and sustainable in the face of rising application numbers and evolving challenges such as AI. By introducing a carefully designed paper sift and moving interviews in person together with a choice of venue, we will better safeguard integrity, focus resources where they matter most and continue to offer life changing awards to the most deserving candidates.”
It’s important that candidates are fully informed about our scholarship processes before they make an application. There are significant changes being implemented this year and we therefore encourage members who are speaking to prospective barristers about scholarship applications to advise them to refer to our Bar Course Awards webpage for the most up to date information. The Scholarships and Outreach
Education & Training
Contacts
Outreach
Outreach outreach@innertemple.org.uk 020 7797 8240
Scholarships
Scholarships scholarships@innertemple.org.uk 020 7797 8211
Pegasus pegasus@innertemple.org.uk 020 7797 8210
Professional Training
Pupils and New Practitioners pupils-practitioners@innertemple.org.uk 020 7438 2310
Established Barristers establishedbarristers@innertemple.org.uk 020 7797 8209
Pre-Pupillage
Pre-Pupillage pre-pupillage@innertemple.org.uk 020 7438 2311
Call to the Bar call@innertemple.org.uk 020 7797 8257
Qualifying Sessions qs@innertemple.org.uk 020 7438 2311
General and Volunteering Enquiries
Education education@innertemple.org.uk 020 7797 8208
continued from p20
Team welcome any questions from members and prospective applicants alike and can be contacted at scholarships@ innertemple.org.uk
We are also continuously grateful to the Inn’s membership who year on year volunteer in huge numbers to assess scholarship applications. The changes this year will mean that we will be able to offer greater flexibility to volunteers, depending on their availability, location and the commitment they are able to make. We will be looking for both interview panellists and application form markers. Application marking will open up opportunities for those not able to attend in-person or who are not available in February, when interviews take place. Whilst we welcome
those who are willing to support with both application marking and interviews, those marking application forms will not be committing themselves to being available on the interview days.
If you would like to get involved, in whatever way you can, please ensure that you are signed up as an Inner Temple volunteer and indicate you are interested in volunteering in the scholarship process via innertemple. org.uk/volunteering-opportunities
This session will be followed by series of three webinars focusing respectively on AI and its impact on the Bar, AI Regulations and Ethics, and AI Tools For Practice. Bookings are now open via innertemple. org.uk/cpd-upcomingsessions
Book:
‘Tis the season to celebrate!
Experience the magic of the season by holding your Christmas event with us.
*Members rates are available with up to 70% o room hire.
From festive lunches and delightful dinners to memorable receptions and parties, we cater to all your holiday celebration needs.
To book, call 020 7797 8230 or email venuehire@innertemple.org.uk innertemplevenuehire.co.uk
*Terms and Conditions apply
Exclusive Discounts for Inner Temple Members!
Did you know Inner Temple Members are entitled to room hire discounts for personal and business events?
Our versatile spaces, featuring both classic and contemporary rooms, can accommodate a wide range of events, from meetings to dinners.
*Members rates are available with up to 70% o room hire.
To book, call 020 7797 8230 or email venuehire@innertemple.org.uk innertemplevenuehire.co.uk
*Terms and Conditions apply
Library
Saturday Opening
Opening Hours 10am to 5pm
October
4 October Middle Temple
11 October The Inner Temple*
18 October Gray’s Inn*
25 October Lincoln’s Inn
November
1 November Middle Temple
8 November Gray’s Inn
15 November The Inner Temple
22 November Lincoln’s Inn
29 November Middle Temple
December
6 December Gray’s Inn
13 December The Inner Temple
20 December CLOSED
*Change in order
Welcome to New Students
The Library has organised some events that will help new students understand how the Library is arranged and the services we provide.
Tour or Chat with a Librarian
Book a tour or chat with a librarian if you want to ask questions and/or be shown round: email library@innertemple.org.uk.
Stationery Station
Making sure you have the necessary stationery to hand can be low on the list of priorities when you start your Bar course. Our stationery station located in Room C will be full of useful new and used stationery for you to take away.
Library of Things
This is a collection of useful objects or tools that can be borrowed by Library users. Items include: adjustable arm rests, book rests, coloured overlays, disposable ear plugs, foot rests and headphones.
Qualifying Session
This will outline the basics of legal research. Book via the website for Advanced Legal Research Skills on 3 November.
Here is a reminder of key services for all:
Document Supply Service
The Library’s Document Supply Service can be used to obtain law reports, journal articles and chapters from books. Details can be found on our website
Library Collections
An overview of the Library’s collections and specialisms can be found on our website
Loans
The Library operates weekly and overnight loan schemes for members of the Inns. Full details of the schemes are available at the Enquiry Point.
Patron-Driven Acquisition Scheme
This Patron-Driven Acquisition Scheme is intended to be responsive to the needs of Inner Temple Library users if they discover a book that they need is not available in the Library collection. All requests meeting the criteria will be automatically purchased whilst funds remain available. The criteria for purchase are under Terms and Conditions on the website.
1-to-1 Legal Research Sessions for All
If you are struggling with research, book a one-to-one session with a member of the Library team who can structure a session around your needs. Just email library@ innertemple.org.uk or phone us on 020 7797 8217.
Check My Citation
Got a dubious citation?
Unsure whether a case actually exists?
The Inner Temple Library is here to help
Check My Citation is your go-to service for verifying legal citations against authoritative sources.
The regulatory ruling of 6 June 2025 highlights the importance of staying vigilant. Check My Citation helps you stay hallucination free.
What we do
We will search leading legal databases and/or print sources to confirm whether your case citation is accurate and legitimate.
How to submit citations for checking
This service is available to all members of the Inns of Court.
Submit up to five citations per day via our simple online form.
We’ll search, verify, and reply.
innertemplelibrary.org.uk/check-my-citation
This information is based on searches conducted across a range of legal databases and printed resources where relevant.
It does not constitute legal advice.
The COIC Pupillage Matched Funding Scheme
The COIC Pupillage Matched Funded Scheme (PMF) helps provide additional pupillages in Chambers, and other approved training organisations, predominantly engaged in legally aided work. Encouragingly, a growing number of Chambers are applying for COIC matched funded grants.
How the Scheme Works
Mrs Justice Lieven Chair, COIC Pupillage Matched Funding Grants Committee
COIC welcomes applications for matched funding for 2026-2027 and 2027-2028 pupillages.
The Inns provide the funds for the Pupillage Matched Funded Scheme administered by COIC. It is a prerequisite of the scheme that chambers understand that matched funded pupillages are in addition to those they would have offered in any event. COIC match pupillage funding already provided by chambers with a total grant of £12,000 for 2026-2027 London pupillages and £11,000 for 2026-2027 out of London pupillages and, £12,400 for 2027-2028 London pupillages and £11,350 for 2027-2028 out of London pupillages, to fund the first six months of a second pupillage. Chambers are responsible for ensuring that the total pupillage award meets the BSB’s minimum award for the year in question.
How to Apply
Applications to match fund 2026-2027 and 2027-2028 pupillages are invited between 1 September and 17 October 2025. Decisions will be communicated during the week commencing 3 November 2025. Online applications can be made at coic.org.uk/pupillage-matched-funding
To find out more please email Hayley Dawes at COIC on hdawes@coic.org.uk
Testimonials
Furnival Chambers
COIC works with the Inns of Court in strengthening the rule of law through excellence in professional and ethical education and in maintaining the highest standards of professional conduct. As an AETO funded primarily through publicly funded advocacy, Furnival Chambers especially welcomes the opportunity enabled by the COIC’s Matched Funding scheme. Furnival Chambers’ pupillage selection process is focused upon intellectual ability, analytical skills, advocacy abilities (written and oral), temperament and interpersonal skills, and commitment to the Bar. The COIC Matched Funding scheme allows us to fund and support more pupils (4 per year, and therefore also allows greater scope still for inclusivity and diversity. We are hugely grateful for this initiative, and will continue to reciprocate with COIC towards our common goals.
Julian Bradley Chambers Manager, Furnival Chambers
Mountford Chambers
At Mountford Chambers, pupillage marks the start of a transformative journey, one that challenges, inspires and shapes the foundation of a lasting career in criminal advocacy. We offer 12 to 18 month pupillages grounded in criminal law, but shaped by the diversity of our work. Our Chambers is defined by a strong sense of community, uncompromising standards and a forwardthinking commitment to the evolving demands of modern criminal practice.
We invest deeply in our pupils. Training is structured, supportive and practical. Pupils are exposed to serious work and mentored by leading practitioners throughout. Our members invest significant time and care in both pupillage and mini pupillage, ensuring that each candidate receives meaningful insight, guidance and support.
Our application process is transparent and we welcome candidates from all backgrounds who can demonstrate sharp thinking, integrity and a commitment to advocacy. At Mountford Chambers, you’re not just learning the job, you are learning how to thrive in it.
We are incredibly grateful for initiatives like COIC’s matched funding scheme, which plays a crucial role in enabling us to offer highquality pupillage programmes and continue investing in the future of the profession.
Alan Kent KC Head of Pupillage, Mountford Chambers
Garden
Gardener’s Cuttings
Dylan Price, Trainee Gardener
Asters – the stars of autumn
During autumn, as the garden slowly shifts towards rest, biscuit warm shades from perennial grasses and shrubs slowly blanket the space. They provide the backdrop for a plant that seemingly bursts onto the scene to command the spotlight, the Aster. A favourite flower to extend the season of interest, they come in a range of colours. The word “aster” – derived from ancient greek – translates to “star”, which perfectly places them as the stars of the autumn show.
A few of our favourites
It’s important to mention that what are known as asters with their star flower form are comprised of other genera alongside Aster, which include Symphyotrichum, Doellingeria and Eurybia. Also in the Asteraceae family are dahlia, sunflowers and the divisive dandelion, an important early source of nectar for pollinators, despite often still being seen as a weed.
On the bright end of the colour spectrum, is Symphyotrichum novae-angliae ‘Andenken
Aster ‘Ice Cool Pink’ and Salvia ‘Amistad’
Aster ‘Ice Cool Pink’
an Alma Pötschke’, long name aside, this plant is a showstopper, its zingy electric pink flowers jump out of the long border, complemented by the pale lavender mauve of Salvia ‘Phyllis Fancy’, it’s a joy to see them in flower at the same time.
Vibrant saturated colours are fantastic and undoubtedly earn their place in the garden, filling a whole border though they can be overpowering, particularly without something to balance and enhance. This is where Aster ‘Ice Cool Pink’ comes in, a pause for breath plant which forms a cloud of blooms that float along the high border, the softer dusty pink flowers temper the saturated Salvia ‘Amistad’ and Rudbeckia triloba. It’s not a shrinking violet though, the upright stems are filled with hundreds of flowers that dance in the breeze for weeks into late autumn.
Symphyotrichum lateriflorum var. horizontalis
Symphyotrichum novae-angliae ‘Andenken an Alma Pötschke’
Finally, Symphyotrichum lateriflorum var. horizontalis can be seen on Kings Bench Walk. The flowers held in profusion on horizontal stems are smaller but no less interesting, they look like tiny jellyfish with white petals splayed backwards and pinkish red pompon centres.
Whether a supporting or main character, the Garden wouldn’t be the same without the asters. Their much-needed presence will always be appreciated by pollinators and us gardeners. We hope you enjoy them as much as we do.
We are holding a choral service every Wednesday evening in term-time at 6pm (unless otherwise stated)
Temple Church
OCTOBER
Wednesday 1 October, 6pm
Choral Evensong
First choral evensong of the Legal Year
Wednesday 8 October, 6pm
Choral Evensong
Special Service in Memory of John Morrissey (Middle Temple Porter)
Wednesday 15 October, 6pm
Choral Evensong
Sung by the Choir of King’s College London
Wednesday 29 October, 6pm
Choral Evensong
For All Saints’ Day
NOVEMBER
Wednesday 5 November, 5.45pm
n.b. Please note earlier start time
Choral Evensong
Prior to Inner Temple Grand Day
Thursday 6 November, 6pm
Memorial Service
Master Anthony May
(Treasurer of The Inner Temple, 2008)
Sunday 9 November, 10.55am
N.B. Please note earlier start time
Choral Mattins – Remembrance Sunday
Followed by Sunday lunch in both Inner and Middle Temple.
Monday 10 November, 6pm
Memorial Service – Master Robin de Wilde
Tuesday 11 November, 6pm
Memorial Service – Master William Davis
Wednesday 19 November, 6pm
Choral Evensong
To celebrate the amity between The Inner Temple and The City of London Solicitors Company and The City of London Law Society.
Wednesday 26 November, 6pm
Choral Evensong
To celebrate American Thanksgiving (27 November)
DECEMBER
Monday 1 – Friday 5 December
The Temple Winter Festival
For information on the whole programme and to book for the concerts please go to www.templemusic.org
The festival includes:
Wednesday 3 December, 6pm
Winter Festival – Advent Carol Service
The Temple Church Choir Free Event. Tickets are not required.
Thursday 4 December, 7.30pm
Winter Festival – Christmas Oratorio
The Bar Choral Society
For more information and to book: www.templemusic.org
Friday 5 December, 6pm
Winter Festival – What Sweeter Music
The Temple Singers
Thomas Allery, conductor Charles Andrews, organ
For more information and to book: www.templemusic.org
Sunday 7 December, 11.15am
Temple Church Christmas Carol Service
Sung by The Temple Church Choir
(This service will be sung again on Sunday 14 December). Booking is not required
Sunday 14 December, 11.15am
Temple Church Christmas Carol Service
Sung by The Temple Church Choir
Prior to Christmas lunch in The Inner Temple.
Tickets are required for this service. Priority booking until 31 October for those booking Christmas lunch. To book for the carols: innertemple.org.uk/christmaslunch
(This carol service will have been sung on Sunday 7 December)
Children’s Nativity Play at 3.30pm followed by Children’s Christmas Tea in The Inner Temple. To book for the tea, innertemple.org.uk/christmastea
If your children or grandchildren would like to take part in the play, please contact Catherine in the Church Office: catherine@templechurch.com
Wednesday 17 December, 1.15pm
Lunchtime carols sing-along
An informal half hour of carol singing. Requests will be taken!
Wednesday 17 December, 6pm “Bah Humbug!”? Certainly not!
A Christmas Celebration with Carols and Readings with The Temple Singers Free event. Tickets are not required.
Wednesday 24 December, 11.15pm
Christmas Eve – Choral Communion Sung by The Temple Singers
Thursday 25 December, 11.15am
Christmas Day - Choral Mattins Sung by The Temple Church Choir
Contacts
The Reverend Robin Griffith-Jones Master of the Temple 07834 521 471 master@templechurch.com
Paul Cutts Chief Executive, Temple Church Trust paul@templechurch.com
Catherine de Satgé 020 7353 8559 catherine@templechurch.com
Temple Church www.templechurch.com
WINTER 2025
Temple Music Foundation is delighted to announce the new season, packed with exceptional musical talent in our iconic and illustrious venues. Tickets are available to purchase now, and we look forward to welcoming you. Here are some particularly special highlights:
Tue 7 October, 5pm (pre-concert talk) and 6.30pm (performance)
The Inner Temple Drawing Room and Temple Church
Dixit Dominus & pre-concert talk
Temple Singers celebrate the beginning of the legal year with one of Handel’s most exhilarating choral works, Dixit Dominus , in Temple Church. Please also join us for a preconcert talk in the elegant surroundings of The Inner Temple’s Drawing Room given by Libby Burgess. We will explore the brilliance and drama of Handel’s Dixit Dominus in this intimate and ornate venue.
Dixit Dominus pre-concert talk tickets
Dixit Dominus tickets
Mon 20 October, 8pm Inner Temple Hall
London Mozart Players
One of London’s most cherished chamber orchestras returns to complete their multiyear journey through the late symphonies of WA Mozart. A thrilling rendition of the Overture to the Magic Flute and a youthful and witty Bassoon Concerto, performed by Amy Harman, will make this a truly memorable evening.
London Mozart Players tickets
Mon 1 December, 1pm Inner Temple Parliament Chamber
Winter Festival: Charles Owen & Katya Apekisheva
Our Winter Festival opens in The Inner Temple’s wood-panelled Parliament Chamber. Pianist duo Charles Owen and Katya Apekisheva will delight with a programme of Debussy, Mozart and Schubert. The intimate setting will host a concert of darkness and light, despair and hope.
Winter Festival piano duo tickets
Thu 18 December, 7pm Temple Church Ceremony
of Carols
The choristers of the world-famous Temple Church Choir perform Benjamin Britten’s evocative masterpiece, A Ceremony of Carols. This magical sequence of carols is one of the composer’s best-loved works. Don’t miss the chance to hear it this Christmas in the Temple Church. Tickets available on templemusic.org
9 and 10 December in Parliament Chamber
Doors Open: 6.30pm
Performance: 7pm-9.15pm with 30 minute intermission. One free drink allocated with ticket purchase. BOOK: 9
14 October, 5.45pm
THE HAMPEL LECTURE: Professor The Hon George Hampel AM KC
A Celebration of His Life and Achievements
Delivered by His Honour Judge Anthony Leonard with contributions from the audience and comments from Her Honour Judge (Felicity) Hampel AM SC.
George Hampel (1933-2024), an Australian barrister, judge and academic, and an Academic Bencher, was best known for his contribution to advocacy training; he was the first professor of advocacy to be appointed worldwide. ‘The Hampel Method’ was adopted by many common law countries to teach advocacy and was
introduced by him to the four Inns of Court of England and Wales when he led a series of ‘training the trainer’ events here in the 1980’s. But George Hampel was much more than the creator of ‘The Hampel Method’ – he filled his 91 years with adventure and accomplishments within and outside of the law. We welcome members of the Bar and Bench of England and Wales and legal professionals and others from across the world to join us for this Memorial, which will provide an opportunity to examine a life well lived.
innertemple.org.uk/hampellecture TO BOOK
Staff News
NADIA RUIZ
After eight years working as the Assistant to the Director of the Treasury, Nadia Ruiz left the Inn in September to take up a hugely exciting role as Legal and Industrial Relations Manager at the Independent Theatre Council. While we are very sorry indeed to lose Nadia from the team, we are very excited that her new role fits so well with her legal background and her great interest in the performing arts.
We bid farewell to Maxine Reynolds, who after five years as Sales Manager in the Catering Department, has taken on an exciting new role as Sales Manager at the Science Museum. We thank Maxine for all she has contributed and wish her every success as she begins this exciting new chapter.
We welcomed Isabelle as the Treasury Office Assistant in September. Isabelle has a strong background in administration and has worked for Palladian Publishers and Mosimann’s Private Dining Club. Isabelle is familiar with The Inner Temple having worked here as a waitress between 2016-2019 before starting a degree in English Literature and Creative Writing at the University of East Anglia.
Thank you to Daisy Frost, our Catering Sales Manager, for her contribution over the past three years. She has now moved on to a new role as Event Supervisor at Wilton Park, and we wish her every success for the future.
JESSIE LEACH
In August we welcomed Jessie Leach to our Library team as Graduate Trainee Librarian. She studied History and Politics at the University of Warwick and then worked in public libraries. She can’t wait to apply what she’s learning now over the next few years and to contribute to the excellent service the Library offers.
RAEESAH
We are delighted to welcome Raeesah Rahman to the team as Senior Sales Executive in our Catering Department. Raeesah joins us from ETM Group, a leading London based hospitality group of restaurants, pubs, and rooftop bars, where she built her expertise in delivering exceptional client experiences. We are excited to have her on board.
MAXINE REYNOLDS
ISABELLE KELTIE
DAISY FROST
RAHMAN
DELBERT BROOKS
After almost 30 years’ service as Facilities Foreman, Delbert retired on 27 June. Delbert had worked for a variety of the Inn’s cleaning companies, finishing with Julius Rutherfoord Ltd. Delbert was very much part of the Inn family, and universally popular with staff and tenants; always with a friendly smile, and no task was too much trouble for him. Del has retired to his beloved Jamaica where he is looking forward to spending time with his family and friends.
Congratulations to our Julius Rutherford Team on receiving an award for their outstanding work
LONG SERVICE
Many congratulations to members of staff who have completed significant periods of employment at the Inn.
15 YEARS
DAVIS MWAKITWANGE
Night Security
10 YEARS
JULIA ARMFIELD
Education Programmes Manager (Pre-Pupillage)
Michaelmas Term Diary
OCTOBER
1 Michaelmas Term Law Sittings Begin Books Sub-Committee
First Choral Evensong of the Legal Year
2 Bench Table
3 Introductory Evening for London Students
Junior Bar Association Quiz and Networking Event
4-5 Advocacy Teacher Training Weekend
5 Choral Mattins First Service of the Legal Year
7 EDI Sub-Committee
EDI Online Series: Support and Allyship at the Bar
Pupils Advocacy Course
Introductory Session
8 Estates Committee
Reader’s Lecture Night (Master Buckland)
Joint Inns of Court Insight Event (Online)
9 Deferred Trinity Term Call Night
10 Bar Guest Night
13 Temple Church Trust
Pupils’ Civil Case Analysis Session
Insight Event (Online)
14 Library Committee
The Hampel Lecture 2025
15 Legal Research Training
Treasury Office
Henrietta Amodio
Director of the Treasury Office 020 7797 8181
hamodio@innertemple.org.uk
Jude Hodgson
Membership Registrar & Data Protection Lead 020 7797 8206
jhodgson@innertemple.org.uk
Kate Peters
Member Events & Administration Manager 020 7797 8183
members@innertemple.org.uk
16 International Committee
Practical Tools for Navigating Stress, Balance and Resilience - From Pupillage to Silk (and everything in between)
Benchers’ Night
17-19
Pupils’ Advocacy Residential Weekend
17 Western Circuit Dinner (Bristol)
18 Bristol Circuit Skills Day
21 Life at the LGBTQ+ Bar: Research and Reality
Pegasus Scholarship Trust Meeting
Insight Event: Becoming a Barrister Selden Society and Inns of Court Annual Legal History Lecture (MT)
23 Pension Scheme Trustees
EDI Online Series: Class and Socio-Economic Diversity at the Bar
27 AI and the Bar Webinar - The Right to Fair Trial in the Age of AI: Current Challenges and Next Steps
28
Training Advocacy & The Vulnerable In Conversation: The Lady Chief Justice and Chair of the Bar
Mooting Masterclass
29 Investment Sub-Committee
History Society Lecture (Professor Michael Lobban)
30 Introduction to Wellbeing
Paul Clark
Technology and Communications Officer 020 7797 8229
pclark@innertemple.org.uk
Jacqueline Fenton
Membership & Records Assistant 020 7797 8241
jfenton@innertemple.org.uk
Rosy Humphrey
Member Events & Administration Assistant 020 7797 8264
members@innertemple.org.uk
Sandra Alvarez
Communications & Social Media Co-ordinator
020 7797 8227
salvarez@innertemple.org.uk
Isabelle Keltie
Treasury Office Assistant 020 7797 8182
ikeltie@innertemple.org.uk