Call to the bar

The call to the bar is an important step for people who want to become lawyers in many places around the world. It means that a person has shown they have the right skills and knowledge to help others in court. When someone is allowed to do this work, we say they have been "called to the bar."

This idea is used in countries that follow common law, a special way of making and understanding laws. Places like England, Wales, and Northern Ireland use this system, as do the Republic of Ireland, many parts of the Commonwealth of Nations, Hong Kong, and the United States.

Each of these places has its own rules about how someone can be called to the bar. Even though the details may differ, the main point is the same: to make sure only qualified people can help others with legal problems in court.

Background

The term call to the bar is used in many places where common law is practiced. It means that someone has been qualified to speak for another person in court. When this happens, we say that person has been "called to the bar".

Originally, "the bar" was the wooden barrier in old courtrooms that separated the public from the area where judges and lawyers worked. Lawyers would sit behind this barrier and use it as a table for their papers. The idea of being "called to the bar" started in England during the Middle Ages when judges would summon people they thought were ready to speak in court.

In England and Wales, there are two main types of lawyers: barristers, who mainly work in court, and solicitors, who often handle work outside of court but can also appear in lower courts like magistrates' courts and county courts. To work as a barrister, a person must complete a special training period called pupillage before they can fully practice.

Particular jurisdictions

Common law jurisdictions include Australia, England and Wales, New Zealand, Canada, Hong Kong, India, Nigeria, the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland and most jurisdictions in the Commonwealth of Nations and the United States.

In Australia, becoming a lawyer differs between states. In Queensland and New South Wales, there are two types of lawyers: solicitors and barristers. In South Australia, Victoria, Western Australia, and the Australian Capital Territory, the two types are combined, but there are still special barristers. Tasmania and the Northern Territory also combine the two, with just a few special barristers.

In Canada, lawyers are both barristers and solicitors. In Ontario and Manitoba, there are two certificates. In Alberta and Prince Edward Island, the call to become a lawyer is done individually.

In England and Wales, a special ceremony happens at an Inn of Court before a new barrister starts working.

In Hong Kong, there are barristers and solicitors. To become one, students must finish certain degrees and training. After training, they can become barristers or solicitors.

In Ireland, to become a barrister, students must pass exams at the King's Inns. After passing, they become Junior Counsel, and later maybe Senior Counsel.

In New Zealand, lawyers are both barristers and solicitors. They are admitted by the New Zealand Law Society.

In Nigeria, there are no separate barristers and solicitors. Lawyers are admitted to the Supreme Court of Nigeria and can work in any court.

In Northern Ireland, barristers take exams at Queen's University Belfast and are called to the bar by the Lord Chief Justice of Northern Ireland.

In Sri Lanka, lawyers must be admitted to the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka.

In the United States, each state decides how to qualify lawyers. Lawyers are often said to have been "admitted to the bar".