The Inns of Court and The Old Bailey

On our last day in London, Dr. Paradis took us on a walking tour of the Inns of Court and the Old Bailey. Before the Inns of Court were established law was taught by private tutors or usually a clergy. During the thirteenth century the government and laws were becoming more complex as the power begins to shift from the church to the government. This brought about a need for formal legal education and thus the Inns of Court were established. This photo below shows a building in the middle that does not quite belong anymore. This building is part of what is left of the original walls of London City. This is important for 2 reasons; In 1207 a Papal Bull prohibited the teaching of law by the clergy , Second, there was a decree from King Henry III that no formal legal education could occur within the city of London. This meant that any formal law education had to be taught outside of the city walls.

    

So, when you pass under this remaining gate you will find the four Inns of Court and the old courthouse called the Old Bailey.  The word Inn comes from the Latin word hospitium- a place of hospitality. People opened up their houses and estates to house lawyers and officials coming into the city for court.There were bout 20 Inns to start with; There are however four main Inns that are actually schools of law. These four Inns are the Lincoln Inn, the Gray Inn, as well as the Inner and Middle Temple Inns. These are all located outside the old city walls and are still in use for law school. 

The garden at the Middle Temple

The Middle Temple

We also visited the old courthouse called The Old Bailey. The courthouse was named after the street it was built on which follows the line of the original wall or "bailey" of the city. The original building burnt down in the great fire of London in 1666 but was rebuilt with some additions in 1673. It was also built next to Newgate Prison for easy transfer of prisoners to court. Our group was Lucky enough to see some of the original cells that are left from Newgate prison. These cells on the bottom right were holding cells. According to our tour guide, they would keep prisoners here awaiting sentencing or trial. It was not the cleanest place. There was a small hole in the roof that led to the city street and people would sometimes drop food down the hole for the prisoners. It was very interesting to see these places, some still in use and some preserved for  some years to come.

The Old Bailey 

Newgate Prison Holding Cells

Newgate Prison