Hertfordshire & Bedfordshire Bar Mess

The Hertfordshire & Bedfordshire Bar Mess has a long-standing reputation for actively and effectively representing the interests of the local Bar in its dealings with the courts and with the wider criminal justice system. The Chairman of the Mess attends the Criminal Justice Liaison Committee No. 14 (Herts & Beds), ensuring that practitioners' concerns are heard at the relevant forums, and the Mess maintains productive relationships with the local Bench at Luton and St Albans Crown Courts.

The Mess is committed to the professional development of its members and to supporting the junior Bar in particular. It also has a lively social calendar: the annual Summer Drinks Reception is among the highlights of the year, well attended by both judges and members, and offers precisely the kind of informal contact between Bench and Bar that helps to make the courts in this part of the Circuit run smoothly.

Membership is notably accessible at just £15 per year, payable by direct debit — one of the most economical memberships of any professional association at the Bar.