Common Bond


Further to my letter on the anomaly in the rules of rights of audience for barristers vis-à-vis solicitors (see [2007] Gazette, 8 February, 18), I would suggest that a way forward would be for the Bar Council and Law Society to agree to the introduction of common training for barristers and solicitors.



On qualification, the lawyer would be called to the bar and admitted to the roll of solicitors, as occurs in many Commonwealth jurisdictions. The barrister and solicitor would be entitled to practise in either or both branches of the legal profession, and to exercise rights of audience in all courts.



A precedent for such a system can be found in Ontario, Canada.



Colin Bobb-Semple, solicitor and senior lecturer, the Inns of Court School of Law, London