Other Governing Benchers

Eligibility

A member of the Inn who holds or has held any office, appointment or position with distinction; or who is appointed Lord Chancellor, Speaker of the House of Commons or House of Lords, or a Law Officer of England & Wales.

Application Procedure

Other Governing Bencher candidates must be proposed by THREE Governing Benchers. Members of the Bencher Nomination Committee are not permitted to support an application. Each of the proposing Governing Benchers must complete an online reference (further details below). A list of Governing Benchers is available on the Inn’s website.

Candidates are invited to complete an online application by 5pm on Friday 11 April 2025. The following information will be required for the application:

1. The candidate’s personal details;
2. A statement from the candidate (no more than 200 words), demonstrating their qualification for election and including details of their recent support of the Inn, having regard to Bench Table Orders (BTO) 3.2 and 3.3 and the Criteria for the Election of Benchers (BTO Appendix 5). A full copy of the BTOs is available to download on the Members’ Area of the Inn’s website here;
3. Document upload of the candidate’s CV (of no more than two sides of A4) to include information presented under the following headings: brief statement of nature of professional role(s); Inn or other Scholarships gained; professional or other appointments. Please do not include personal details on the CV;
4. Document upload of a photograph of the candidate (high quality and resolution, suitable for professional print, JPG format);
5. The names of the three Governing Benchers who are supporting the application. Supporting references must be submitted separately by each of the three proposing Governing Benchers via the online reference form by the deadline of 5pm on Friday 11 April 2025. The reference form will ask each proposing Bencher to set out the reasons in favour of the candidate being elected, having particular regard to the Criteria for the Election of Benchers (BTO Appendix 5). It will include the following questions:
   • In what capacity and for how long have you known the candidate?
   • In what ways do you feel the candidate has already demonstrated a commitment to the work and/or the affairs of the Inn?
   • In what ways do you feel the candidate would make a significant contribution to the life and work of the Inn in the future?
   • Does the candidate possess any specific skills and/or interests that you feel would be of benefit to the Inn?
   • In what ways do you feel the candidate has shown ability and distinction in their practice, as a judge and/or in other areas of professional life?
   • In what ways do you feel the candidate has taken, or is taking, a significant part in the affairs of the legal profession, whether on the Bar Council, on circuit; in a specialist Bar association or the Judicial College; or otherwise?
6. A declaration that the candidate is 1) a Member of the Inn; and 2) knows of no adverse circumstances material to candidacy, whether bankruptcy or other financial problems, or pending proceedings, disciplinary offences or pending proceedings, or of any other kind of adverse circumstance. If there are any such circumstances, the candidate should provide details on the application form or to the Executive Assistant to the Sub-Treasurer, Wanda Szwed, by email (please see contact details below). This information will be shared with the Chair of the Bencher Nomination Committee in the first instance and may be submitted to the Bencher Nomination Committee as part of the application. It will be kept in strict confidence;
7. An undertaking that if elected the candidate will serve the Inn in the ways set out in BTO 3.3 below:
   A Governing Bencher is expected:
   • whenever possible to attend at Parliaments and Bench Tables;
   • if elected a member of any committee or sub-committee of the Inn, or nominated by the Inn to any other body, whenever possible to attend meetings of any such committee, sub-committee or other body;
   • to assist the Inn in carrying out the Education and Training Functions of the Inn;
   • to have completed recognised equality and diversity training.

We also invite candidates to complete an optional and anonymous online Equal Opportunities Monitoring Form as part of the online application to enable the Bencher Nomination Committee and Equality, Diversity & Inclusivity Sub-Committee to monitor diversity data on the point of application. Successful candidates will be asked to complete a further anonymous monitoring form on election so as to track diversity statistics.

Feedback will be invited from the Inn’s departments on all applicants so as to provide a full picture of any previous contribution to the Inn.

Incomplete applications or those received after the deadline of 5pm on Friday 11 April 2025 may not be considered.

Please note, the application form will automatically save your details for up to 15 days provided that you are using the same computer or device and internet browser to access the application.

Review of Candidates

Each application will be considered by the Bencher Nomination Committee. When selecting candidates to be put forward for election as Other Governing Benchers, the Bencher Nomination Committee shall have regard to the Criteria for the Election of Benchers (BTO Appendix 5).

Candidates considered to have met the criteria will be recommended for election to the Executive Committee. If the Executive Committee so decides, such member shall be qualified for election as an Other Governing Bencher by Bench Table.

There is no limit to the number of Other Governing Benchers that can be elected.

Selection Criteria

Bench Table Order 3.3 defines the expectations of Governing Benchers as follows:

• whenever possible to attend at Parliaments and Bench Tables;
• if elected a member of any committee or sub-committee of the Inn, or nominated by the Inn to any other body, whenever possible to attend meetings of any such committee, sub-committee or other body;
• to assist the Inn in carrying out the Education and Training Functions of the Inn;
• to have completed recognised equality and diversity training.

A document outlining examples of the role and duties of Governing Benchers is available here.

When selecting candidates to be put forward for election as Barrister, Judicial or Other Governing Benchers, the Bencher Nomination Committee shall have, inter alia, regard to the following:

1. Any specific need(s) that the Inn may have at that time for Benchers who possess the skills and interests necessary to perform one or more of its functions;
2. The extent to which the candidate appears to possess skills and interests required by the Inn either generally or in relation to any specific need(s) identified under (a) above;
3. The extent to which the candidate has demonstrated a strong likelihood that, as a Governing Bencher, they will make a positive contribution to the affairs of the Inn;
4. The extent to which the candidate has taken, or is taking, any significant part in the affairs of the Inn or, more generally in the affairs of the legal profession, whether on the Bar Council, on circuit; in a specialist Bar association or the Judicial College; or otherwise.

As to (c), a strong likelihood that a candidate will make a positive contribution to the affairs of the Inn is best evidenced by previous participation in the affairs of the Inn or of the legal profession. However, it is recognised that, on occasion, circumstances may have prevented the candidate from such previous participation. In such cases, the Committee will take the candidate’s particular circumstances fully into account and will look for evidence of a real intention on the part of the candidate, if elected, to play an active part in the Inn’s affairs.

Bench Commons Subscription

Bench Commons is a subscription and invoicing system granted to Governing and Senior Benchers to encourage them to take part in events that are Qualifying Sessions for students and to facilitate participation in the social and collegiate life of the Inn. Bench Commons covers the cost of attendance for Benchers at all Qualifying Sessions and can also be used as a credit charging facility to pay for chargeable social events, for the purchase of merchandise or for car parking permits.

The Bench Commons quarterly subscription is currently £88 (and subject to annual RPI increases). The standard rate of Bench Commons shall be halved for Governing and Senior Benchers whose main residence for tax purposes and (where applicable) main place of work for nine months or more per calendar year are not less than 100 miles from the Inn. Bench Commons bills are invoiced retrospectively at the end of each quarter in March, June, September and December and can be paid by direct debit.