Solicitors fight for room at the Inns

The Access to Justice Act 1999 will give solicitors greater powers

Leading lawyers are calling on Barristers' Inns of Court to turn their backs on eight centuries of tradition and admit solicitors into the fold.

The call comes as solicitors are to get much greater rights to appear in place of barristers at Crown Courts and the High Court under the soon to be implemented Access to Justice Act 1999.

The move was recommended in the report from a working party set up by the Inns, of which every barrister must be a member.

Sir Murray Stuart-Smith, chair of the working party, said the ancient institutions had to choose between simply serving barristers and aiding all lawyers appearing before the higher courts.

He claimed it was only right that they could benefit from the on-going training and other activities organised by the four Inns.

'Historic opportunity'

The council of the four Inns - Lincoln's Inn, Inner Temple, Middle Temple and Gray's Inn - will debate the proposals in November after a five-month consultation period.

"The Inns are faced with an historic opportunity," Sir Murray said.

"If they adopt the first course they risk being marginalised through increasing irrelevance to the administration of justice.

"On the other hand, they can welcome solicitors with higher courts rights of audience and continue to fulfil their very important role."

One member of the 16-strong committee, Nicholas Lavender, disagrees with the proposals.

"So far as solicitors are concerned, the Inns could never be more than clubs for advocates," he said.

"The Inns deserve, and can have, a better future than that."

Exclusive preserve

Attorneys, the forerunner of solicitors, were admitted to the Inns when they were established in the 13th century.

But over time they became the exclusive preserve of barristers.

In recent years, the Bar Council took on the task of training students and deciding when they should be admitted to the profession, but the Inns still decide whether candidates are fit to become barristers.

A final decision on the proposal is expected early next year.