Sussex Bar Mess

Sussex has its own particular character — and so does its Bar Mess. Serving the Crown Courts at Lewes, Hove and Brighton, the Sussex Bar Mess brings together practitioners who work in one of the most distinctive court patches on the entire Circuit, combining a historic county town with seaside venues and the particular dynamics of courts that have seen some of the most significant criminal cases of recent decades.

The Mess has a cherished tradition of hosting its annual summer garden party at the home of one of the local judges — in recent years the generosity of HHJ Kemp has provided the setting — an occasion that is as much about the enjoyment of the Sussex legal community as it is about professional networking. The Mess also marks judicial retirements and other significant occasions with dinners that reflect the high regard in which the local Bench and Bar hold one another.

For any barrister practising in East or West Sussex, membership of the Sussex Bar Mess is an obvious and rewarding way to stay connected to the courts and colleagues who define working life on this stretch of the Circuit.