The history and tour of the law of England
England's legal system is unique and has a long history. Like a lot of other things in England, it has evolved over time with no written form of establishment. Although you can't see the actual legal system, evidence underpinning the system can be seen all over London. You just need to know where to look.
Today I'm going to take you on a little historical tour to the City of Westminster where the legal system is based. If you've been to London before, you would have been to the City of Westminster. All the famous landmarks such as Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, the Houses of Parliament, St Pauls Cathedral and Trafalgar Square etc are located here.
Royal Courts of Justice
Courts are fundamental to the legal system. The Royal Courts of Justice, or more commonly known as the Law Courts was built in the 19th century. It was opened by Queen Victoria in 1882. The building has 19 courtrooms inside, and it's said to be one of the largest courts in Europe.
The RCJ only trials civil cases, and both the High Court and the Court of Appeal are here. They are the second highest court in England, only a level below the Supreme Court, the highest court in the country. Many high profile cases are heard here, and for anyone who watches the UK news, you'll often see celebrities or famous people outside this building when their case is heard. The most recent one was last year between Johnny Deep, best known for Pirates of the Caribbean, who sued a British newspaper for calling him a wife beater.
Source : BBC
You'll know a high profile case is being heard here when all the reporters are outside waiting with their cameras. It becomes a media circus. I used to see these media circus quite often when my bus passes by on the way to work. It was very quiet during my visit, sadly no juicy gossip to share with you.
The Inns of Court
In England, there are two types of lawyers - solicitors and barrister. The latter are more specialised in a particular area of the law and can represent people in all the courts in England. Solicitors can only do so in certain courts. People who want to practice as a barrister in England must join one of the four Inns of Court. They are the only organisations that train barristers and can grant a person a barrister status. This system dates back to the 12th century, and when a person becomes a barrister, he or she is said to be called to the Bar. That's a big deal for a lawyer (not to mention lucrative future income) as there are only around 17 thousand practising barristers in England compared to around 155 thousand practising solicitors.
Lincoln's and Gray's Inn
Lincoln's Inn is the largest of the four Inns. Despite it being across the road from this sign, I didn't stop by due to lack of time. Gray's Inn is another and that's a bit further away, like another ten minutes walk and I didn't make it there either.
Inner Temple and Middle Temple
The other two Inn of Court are called Inner Temple and Middle Temple. They are situated five minutes walk away from the Royal Court of Justice, nearby the River Thames. In fact, all four Inns of Court are located walking distance away from the RCJ, in a way, that's how compact the English legal system is.
The images below is the Middle Temple. Like all the other Inns, the Middle Temple evolved over time, and are a cluster of buildings where barristers have their chambers (offices), practice, and train pupils who will be called to the bar one day. The fascinating thing about this area is it's so tucked away in the center of London, and not many people are aware of its existence.
Save for the cars in the car park, of which many were flashy sports cars, when you walk around here, you could easily imagine you're being transported back to a few hundred years ago.
If you've been watching Bridgerton on Netflix, this could have been a perfect location for filming. The grandeur of the buildings, antique gas street lamps, coats of arms and Latin inscriptions, cobblestone paths, all point to the historical significance of the Middle Temple.
Temple Church
If there is one single building that represents the origins of the legal system in England, the Temple Church would definitely qualify. If you look at the sign out the church, is says The Mother Church of Common Law. Common law is another unique feature of the English legal system. They are law that is based on precedence, that is rulings from previous court cases rather than written law.
The Temple Church was built in the middle of the 12th century by the Military Order of the Knights Templar, more commonly known as the Knights Templar or just Templar. If you're a fan of Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code, you will know what I'm talking about. TL:DR - The Templar was formed in the early 12th century and was one of the most wealthy and powerful Orders of the Christendom with presence in many parts of Europe. In the late 12th century, they built the Temple Church in London, modelled on the round Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. The Templar brought with them a lot of their wealth and many lawyers were employed to help them manage their wealth. When the Order was abolished in the early 14th century the lawyers occupied the area and formed the Inner and Middle Temples that exists to date.
The Temple Church has witnessed many major events over the years, most notably the events leading up to the signing of the Magna Carta in the early 13th century. For those who aren't aware, the Magna Carta is an important historical document whereby King John promised to his people, not to abuse his power and that everyone should be treated fair and equal. It forms the basis of many of the human right laws we have today.
In recent years, the Temple Church has become famous for the movie The Da Vinci Code where the two main characters come here to solve a riddle. That aside, the Church is worthy in its own right as historical landmark in London. If you are ever in London, this is one under rated gem that I would highly recommend. Entrance cost £5 and if you can't find it's exactly location, check out the pin on my Pinmapple map.
I think I have said enough about the history of the English legal system and its associated buildings already. I shall leave you in peace and quiet to admire the stunning interior of the Temple Church.
Hi @livinguktaiwan,
Thank you for participating in the #teamuk curated tag. We have upvoted your quality content.
For more information visit our discord https://discord.gg/8CVx2Am
Congratulations, your post has been added to Pinmapple! 🎉🥳🍍
Did you know you have your own profile map?
And every post has their own map too!
Want to have your post on the map too?
Very nice post ! I lived in London 2 years and wish I could go back just to make this visitation! Cheers !!
Thanks
Often it's only after you leave a place that you realise how much you've really missed. I lived in London for many years, then left for over 4 years, and it's only now that I come back, I appreciate what its got to offer
Wow, so much history in Westminister. That's really interesting. The inside of the temple church is really stunning. That ceiling is incredible. Middle temple also looks really cool. I like that photo you took - the one on the angle. Nice one.
Thanks. If it wasn't those wheelie bins outside the buildings, it would have been a really nice photo (don't mind me blowing my own trumpet )
It's definitely a nice photo, even with them. I didn't even notice them until you pointed them out lol.
I love the architecture in the buildings there. So much history.
Yes, London has a lot of these nice quirky buildings, and often I find it really amazing that I'm looking at something that has been around for say 800 to even over a 1000 years old.
That’s so awesome
Thank you for taking me on this lovely tour today! These places are all on my bucket list, one day when I'll have my plane ticket in my pocket I'm going to read your post again to refresh what I need to know about them 🙂
However it's crazy how the legal system differs in every country. I knew some things about it but your post gave me a more clear picture.
Are we going to see Prince Andrew inside that court in the upcoming future? Has the royal family enough power to save him from what is coming?
Sadly, the lowlife will NEVER see the inside of a courtroom!
I can't predict the future and don't know the case in details but I know the royal family is going to do everything in their power to save the family from scandal. As always, history repeating itself....
Rumour has it he is the Queen's favourite (or at least that's what The Crown says), probably a little spoilt prince
The Royal family might be able to save him from entering the UK courts, but he'll probably never be able to set foot in US again.
If Hive and the other coins continue to go up, I'm sure you will make it over here one day.
I like reminders like this, as I forget how beautiful and completely steeped in history London is. I can never understand how a little Island developed so quickly and became such a global powerhouse. Nice to see you getting out and about and I can finally look forward to having a wander around again with the lifting of so many restrictions!
I think having been away for four years, this time coming home, I've come to appreciate things and places a lot more (or is it a sign of growing old?).
Are you coming home for Xmas now? I think restrictions have been lifted both ends? We should try to do a Xmas meet up if you do, I'm sure many others are looking forward to one
What a treat seeing all these historical buildings, seeing that vintage car takes one to a more genteel era; or was it?
Perhaps only for the elite but nevertheless looks lovely. I just love the architecture of yester-year!
Thank you for sharing this with us @livinguktaiwan.
That Bentley is a real beauty, probably belongs to a top barrister. There were quite a lot of other flashy cars in the car park as well. And it was quite weird to see the contrast between modern vs history. Thanks for dropping by Lizzie.
Love your post, so interesting to read, especially when it's covered with amazing photographs.
I can't wait the day I visit UK. 🇬🇧😊
I hope you will make it over to UK sometime, it has so much to offer, and likewise, I have yet been to Croatia, it looks like a beautiful country, would love to visit
Well, I got an education while looking at some incredible photography. I am much more acquainted with Westminster and British lawyer history now. Love those vaulted ceilings!
Thanks for dropping by Justin。 I learnt quite a lot myself when researching for this post, so double win!