Clifford's Inn

Clifford Inn and The Honourable Society of Clifford 's Inn - founded in 1344 - was the oldest of originally quite numerous English Bar Associations ( Inns of Court ) for barristers. Your resolution was 1903. The still existing bar associations are the Honourable Societies of the Inner Temple and Middle Temple, Gray 's Inn and Lincoln 's Inn.

Inn (or hospitium ) in this context means a town house or a guest house - especially in the time of origin of a boarding house for students studying law here. Therefore, it was with Clifford Inn and the building complex where the Bar Association had its headquarters, respectively.

The coat of arms of Clifford 's Inn was a modified version of the coat of arms of the Clifford family, Earls of Cumberland. It shows a horizontal three-part shield, the upper and lower field geschacht yellow and azure blue, the middle red.

History

Since the end of the Norman period in England was the law, a privilege of the Church. Only with the law on the separation of church and secular law in 1292 by Edward I. were Barristers and Solicitors, as they are called today, the state assumed. This secular schools were now required, as up to this point, the legal doctrine was the monasteries. But was a few years later, first, by a decree of Henry III. prohibited a legal education in the area of ​​City of London and secondly banned a Papal bull to the clergy for the teaching of rights outside ecclesiastical institutions. Consequently, the legal education had now done by lawyers and outside the city limits of London. So it was that preferably in the village of Holborn, which was located not far from Westminster, called Inns of Court formed.

And so it was in 1344 to the founding of the first Inns - the Clifford 's Inn. Its name derives from the family Clifford, Earl of Cumberland: She set the property for £ 10 per year to students. On March 26, 1618 was acquired by the Honourable Society of Clifford 's Inn for the sum of £ 600 with the condition that the family Clifford reserves the right to teaching lawyers and members of the Council, presided at the Inn to propose.

The management of the Inn was for a council of twelve lawyers, one of whom acted as chairman and elected by the members of the Inns - initially for life, 1668 for a period of three years. The duties of the Chairman included the definition of school subjects, the daily schedule and the instruction of the house staff. He had the right to take with meals to place at the head end of the table and he received a special allocation of beer. Between 1668 and 1890, only 21 people have held the position of Chairman.

The resolution

With the reorganization of legal education in England in 1852 The Inns lost their original function; most were resolved into the following period. In 1903 was also observed by the members of Clifford 's Inn that their institution had become superfluous. They decided unanimously the resolution, the sale of the building and the transfer of the proceeds, together with the reserves to the Attorney General for England and Wales ( the chairman of the English legal profession ) so that it is used appropriately. The auction of assets took place on May 14, 1903 price of £ 100,000, " a ridiculously low sum ," as was.

The buildings in the Fetter Lane, London EC4 were demolished in 1934, only the gatehouse still stands today in memory of Decimus Burton, who has here from 1833 to 1834 lived and worked. The building now houses offices and homes, among others, the English writer Virginia Woolf been resident here.

Famous members (selection)

Among the most famous members of Clifford's Inn Sir Edward Coke (1552-1634) and John Selden ( 1585-1654 ).