The South Eastern Circuit

The South Eastern Circuit is one of the six historic circuits of the Bar of England and Wales. The circuits originated in the medieval system of itinerant royal justice and remain the fundamental organising structure for the practising Bar outside the specialist Inns of Court. Each circuit represents the barristers practising in its geographical area, supports their professional development, and gives them a collective voice with the judiciary, HMCTS, the Bar Council and Government.

The largest of the six circuits of the Bar of England and Wales covering from Oxford to Norwich and Lewes in the South to Cambridge in the north of the Circuit, taking in London, the Home Counties and the great court centres in between. The Royal Courts of Justice, the Central Criminal Court, and the Inns of Court all sit within its bounds.

The Circuit is composed of eleven Bar Messes, one for each principal court centre or group of centres. Each Mess is an association of and for the barristers who practise in those courts. Through their Chair, Junior and additional representative, each Mess holds a seat on the Circuit Committee — the governing body of the Circuit — alongside the elected Officers, twenty-one Elected Committee Members, the Chairs of Liaison Committees, Bar Council Members, Specialist Association nominees and co-opted members.

The Officers of the Circuit are the Leader, the Treasurer, the Recorder, the Junior, and the First and Second Assistant Juniors. The Leader and Treasurer must be King's Counsel throughout the term; the Recorder, Junior and Assistant Juniors are juniors at the date of election. Day-to-day executive decisions are taken by the Executive Committee, which consists of the Officers and such other members as the Circuit Committee approves.

The Circuit's administrative office, run by the Circuit Administrator, is based in Canterbury. The Leader is supported by a Personal Assistant.

The Circuit's eleven Bar Messes cover the whole of the HMCTS London region and the whole of the HMCTS South East region — thirty Crown Court centres alongside magistrates', county, family, tribunal and specialist courts.

The full directory of all 133 court centres on the Circuit is available to members in the Court Directory.

The Circuit's structure, governance and operation are set out in its Constitution, adopted by the membership in General Meeting. It defines the objects of the Circuit, the membership categories, the Officers and Committee, the eleven constituent Bar Messes, the election process, and the policies the Circuit maintains on harassment, bullying, grievances and conduct.