Ian’s Legal Fact of the Week 9/15/14: The Origins of ‘Barrister’

Barrister derives its medieval origins from the word bar, referring to the wooden barrier that commonly stood near the front of the courtroom that separated spectators from judges, lawyers, court officers and parties. People admitted to practice were said to have been called to the bar or to have passed the bar. In modern usage, bar is commonly used as to refer to the members of the legal profession in a jurisdiction.

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