Obaba Museum

Being called to Bar is really a great celebration for aspiring lawyers, in Nigeria it happens after you graduate law school (I mean the 1 year law school after the first 5 years). I remember a lawyer friend who was fond of drinking got called to ‘bar’ recently and I wondered if it was an actual ‘Bar’, 😆.

Jokes apart, how did lawyers come up with the term ‘bar’?

By the early 14th century, the concept of the bar referred to a physical railing that separated benchers from the hall of the Inns of Court; the area past the bar held the judge, the barristers (attorneys), the witnesses giving testimony and the prisoners or those accused or liable. Passing the bar referred to the ability to enter that space, and the term barrister (which is what attorneys in England are called) loosely meant “a student of law who has been called to the bar” to advocate on behalf of another.

Apparently, the early courtrooms were often roudy places, and the separation between public viewing and official legal affairs required more than just a physical barrier; in fact, the courtroom was typically overseen not only by the judge but also by a bailiff – an underling of the sheriff – or a similar authority figure (but these are etymologies for another day). So you now understand why judges use a gavel, right? Imagine routinely trying to restore order in a rowdy courtroom and you’ll get the idea.

Likewise, the term ‘bench’, has a different meaning in legal studies.

The historical roots of the term come from judges formerly having sat on long seats or benches (freestanding or against a wall) when presiding over a court. The bench was usually an elevated desk area that allowed a judge to view the entire courtroom. The bench was a typical feature of the courts of the Order of St. John in Malta, such as at the Castellania, where judges and the nominated College of Advocates sat for court cases and review laws.

So you now know who the members of the bar and bench. Let your friends know too by sharing the link with them.

Thank you.