Central London Bar Mess

The Central London Bar Mess represents practitioners across the central London Crown Court centres, and is among the most active and engaged of the Circuit's Messes. The Chair and Junior of the Mess serve on the South Eastern Circuit Committee, giving Central London practitioners a direct voice in the governance of the largest circuit in England and Wales.

Mess representatives maintain an active liaison with the Resident Judges at the relevant courts, working constructively on the implementation of new practices and the practical day-to-day concerns of those who appear there. This representative function — keeping the channels of communication open between the Bar and the Bench at court level — is one of the most valuable things a Bar Mess can do, and the Central London Mess takes that responsibility seriously.

The Mess also provides a social and collegiate function for practitioners whose working lives can, in the nature of a large city practice, become somewhat isolated from the sense of professional community that the Circuit structure exists to foster.