the.com/barrister
a courtroom gladiator in a wig that hasn't changed since 1822
means In British and Commonwealth legal systems, a lawyer who specializes in arguing cases in the higher courts, as distinct from a solicitor who advises clients and prepares the groundwork.
from From 'bar' — the wooden barrier in a courtroom that separated the judges and senior lawyers from the rest of the room. To be 'called to the bar' meant being admitted to plead beyond that rail. The '-ister' ending echoes 'minister' and 'chorister,' marking a person who does a thing; so a barrister is literally one who works at the bar. The word took shape in English legal usage from the 16th century onward.
- horsehair wig
- Still worn in court, traditionally not washed for luck
- the bar
- Named for the physical rail separating court areas
- no handshakes
- Tradition says barristers never shake each other's hands
- taxi rule
- Cab-rank rule forces them to take any client
- split system
- They argue; solicitors do the prep and paperwork
rumpole of the bailey — fictional barrister character created by john mortimer, starred in 1978-2012 british tv series
karol wojtyla — future pope john paul ii trained as barrister in kraków, poland before entering priesthood
mohandas gandhi — trained as barrister in london 1888-1891, practiced in india before becoming independence leader