Who are we?
The Hall Committee represents all those members of Middle Temple who are neither student nor Bencher. That covers those searching for pupillage, pupils, juniors, silks, and judges; employed and self-employed barristers; and those pursuing careers outside of the Bar, either temporarily or permanently. Hall members range across all areas of practise and are based around the country. Every member of the Inn who has been Called to the Bar either is, or has been, a member of Hall.
The members of Hall Committee are elected, on three-year terms, to represent all Hall members of the Inn. Our committee has representatives from across our diverse constituency. All our meetings are hybrid, so that members of the Committee can fully participate no matter where they are. The Hall Committee has a Chair and two Vice-Chairs elected from within its membership.
What we do
Hall Committee is there to represent the views of Hall, and ensure Middle Temple is properly serving its Hall members. We do so through our work and events and by sitting on all the Inn’s standing committees. We are consulted on a wide range of issues affecting the Inn and its members, and seek to ensure that the Inn is inclusive, engaging, and relevant. We have a number of working groups to discuss issues of particular interest and progress our work between meetings.
Hall Committee host several events each year, either alone or in conjunction with other groups within the Inn, such as MTYBA and MTSA. In the past year, events we have hosted include a ceilidh, a volunteering evening, and the Inn’s first Iftar which took place in the Garden Room in April. As I write we are preparing for a Call Anniversary celebration for those Called to the Bar in a year ending in ’3’.
Our flagship event is our black-tie Annual Dinner, featuring a distinguished guest speaker. This traditionally takes place in May, and at this year’s event on Thursday 18 May 2023 we were delighted to welcome Sir Nicholas Coleridge CBE as our guest speaker. Sir Nicholas is the Chairman of the V&A, held a number of senior positions at publishers Condé Nast, and was co-Chair of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Pageant. He was also called to the Bench of Middle Temple in October 2021. Master Coleridge spoke on ‘Magazines, Museums and Jubilees’, and we were delighted to see Middle Temple Hall full of a diverse range of Inn members to enjoy the event. All members of the Inn, and their guests, are invited to the Annual Dinner. It is the only dinner of the year where the Chair of Hall Committee (rather than Master Treasurer) presides over the event, and at top table and all other tables, members are mixed – Hall, Bench, students and staff. The 2023 Annual Dinner was the 25th such Annual Dinner – appropriately, given the CV of our guest speaker, our silver jubilee! It is a tradition the current membership of our committee is proud to keep going. We hope to see you there next year – look out for the announcement of our 2024 guest speaker.
What can we do for you?
We are always happy to hear from members of Hall with feedback or ideas of how we, and the Inn more widely, can support you; or events you would like to see organised. We represent you. You can contact Hall Committee by email on [email protected], or by contacting any of the committee members, whose biographies can be found on the Inn’s website. You can also stay up to date with all the latest Hall Committee news and events by following us on Twitter – @MTHallCommittee.
Getting Involved
If you are a Hall member who is thinking of becoming more involved in the Inn, then Hall Committee would be delighted to hear from you. If you are interested in standing for election to the committee, then there is an opportunity to do so in October/November each year – details of elections will be posted on the Inn’s website and promoted on our social media. Do watch out for the Hall Committee elections even if you are not standing: we represent you, so please vote for your representatives. Whether you are involved in the Inn already or looking to re-engage with the Inn after a period, you are welcome to join us, and we look forward to hearing from and meeting you.
Felicity is Chair of Hall Committee. She was Called to the Bar in 2008, and practises from 5RB Chambers, specialising in media law. Felicity has been a member of Hall Committee since 2016 and served as co-Vice Chair for a number of years. Felicity also sits on the Inn’s Membership Committee and its Survive & Thrive Steering Group. She can be found on Twitter as @BitOfALegalGeek
