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Northern Circuit
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<h2 id="history">History</h2> <p>It dates from 1176 when <a href="/facts/Henry_II_of_England/ryWkqNRB">Henry II</a> sent his judges on circuit to do justice in his name. The Circuit originally encompassed the whole of the North of England. In 1863, Yorkshire was transferred to the Midland Circuit. In 1873, Durham and Lancashire were added, following the Supreme Court of Judicature Act 1873. In 1876, the Circuit was divided in two. That part to the west of the <a href="/facts/Pennines/MIlcoEQs">Pennines</a> (Cumberland, Westmorland and Lancashire) retained the old name. The land to the east (Northumberland, Yorkshire and Durham) became the territory of the newly formed <a href="/facts/North_Eastern_Circuit/BCpaWd1x">North-Eastern Circuit</a>. The two circuits have maintained strong links. </p><p>In 1876, 62 members of the Bar had chambers on the circuit. There were 29 in Liverpool, 32 in Manchester and 1 solitary practitioner in Preston. Today the circuit has a membership of some 1100 <a href="/facts/Barristers/pu8vNbSC">barristers</a> of whom about 77 are <a href="/facts/Queen%2527s_Counsel/QBWHBQK2">Queen's Counsel</a>, practising from chambers in Manchester, Liverpool, Preston and <a href="/facts/Chester/Ed9BmDyY">Chester</a>.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:4" href="#fn:4"><sup>4</sup></a> </p> <h2 id="leadership">Leadership</h2> <p>The current circuit leader is Jaime Hamilton KC, elected in 2022. Other members with leadership roles include:<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:5" href="#fn:5"><sup>5</sup></a> </p> <ul><li>Mark Harper KC - <a href="/facts/Treasurer/6ooV6zEl">treasurer</a></li> <li>Jennifer Devans Tamakloe - circuit <a href="/facts/Junior_barrister/IQTSlouI">junior</a></li> <li>Samantha Hillas KC - <a href="/facts/Attorney_general/Pb9bnmKa">attorney general</a></li> <li>Virginia Hayton - <a href="/facts/Solicitor_general/0WWYsW45">solicitor general</a></li> <li>Andrew Howe - <a href="/facts/Secretary/Plwk0x2e">secretary</a></li></ul> <h2 id="notable-members">Notable members</h2> <p>There have been a number of famous members, such as <a href="/facts/F._E._Smith%2c_1st_Earl_of_Birkenhead/gltDFuAH">F. E. Smith</a> (later to become <a href="/facts/Lord_Birkenhead/VefJGDmU">Lord Birkenhead</a>), <a href="/facts/Lord_Shawcross_QC/y0g2Kg85">Lord Shawcross QC</a> (Leading Counsel at the <a href="/facts/Nuremberg_Trials/Xk8q1YzG">Nuremberg Trials</a> after World War II) and <a href="/facts/George_Carman_QC/gfCHdsjm">George Carman QC</a>. </p><p>Since 1876 the Circuit which presently comprises 10 per cent of the Bar has produced the following judges: </p> <ul><li>President of the Supreme Court 1</li> <li><a href="/facts/Lord_Chancellor/2rbLTEs6">Lord Chancellors</a> 3</li> <li><a href="/facts/Law_Lords/SHNIsdbR">Law Lords</a> 7</li> <li><a href="/facts/Lord_Chief_Justice/E3eCayFX">Lord Chief Justices</a> 3</li> <li>President of Queen's Bench Division 1</li> <li><a href="/facts/Master_of_the_Rolls/SRtQf0MW">Master of the Rolls</a> 3</li> <li><a href="/facts/President_of_the_Family_Division/JCv7cNrJ">Presidents, Probate, Divorce & Admiralty</a> 5</li> <li>Senior President of Tribunals 1</li> <li><a href="/facts/Lord_Justice_of_Appeal/x1zvfydw">Lords Justice of Appeal</a> 28</li> <li>Lady Justice of Appeal 2</li> <li><a href="/facts/High_Court_of_Justice/TmjKkjUX">High Court Judges</a> 92</li></ul> <p>In 2001, one <a href="/facts/Law_Lord/SHNIsdbR">Law Lord</a>, three Lord Justices of Appeal (including the Vice President of the <a href="/facts/Court_of_Appeal_of_England_and_Wales/0uWNLJI9">Court of Appeal</a>, Criminal Division), one Lady Justice of Appeal and 12 <a href="/facts/High_Court_of_Justice/TmjKkjUX">High Court</a> Judges were members of the Northern Circuit. In 1994, of the five female <a href="/facts/High_Court_of_Justice/TmjKkjUX">High Court</a> Judges, four were Northern Circuiteers. <a href="/facts/Rose_Heilbron/x4Rpjvnn">Rose Heilbron</a> QC was the first female High Court judge from the Circuit, 20 years earlier. </p><p>There have been other members who have attained fame outside the law – the author <a href="/facts/John_Buchan/jKfRjwjL">John Buchan</a>, <a href="/facts/W._S._Gilbert/6gylNGb0">W. S. Gilbert</a> and <a href="/facts/James_Boswell/TzxQUGqv">James Boswell</a>, the biographer of <a href="/facts/Dr._Samuel_Johnson/yl89qQ3t">Dr. Samuel Johnson</a>. Boswell was Junior of the Circuit.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:6" href="#fn:6"><sup>6</sup></a> </p> <h2 id="see-also">See also</h2> <ul><li><a href="/facts/Circuits_of_England_and_Wales/83mqD8XX">Circuits of England and Wales</a></li> <li><a href="/facts/Assizes/6kGwsztJ">Assizes#Circuits</a></li> <li><a href="/facts/Circuit_court/BCpaWd1x">Circuit court#England and Wales</a></li></ul> <ul><li>"The Northern Circuit" (1915) 138 The Law Times <a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=KHIvAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA301">301</a> (30 January 1915)</li> <li>J S Cockburn, "The Northern Assize Circuit" (1968) 3 Northern History 118 <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1179/nhi.1968.3.1.118">Taylor and Francis</a></li> <li>Northern Circuit Directory 1876–2004 with supplement to mid 2016 by His Honour Dr David Lynch</li> <li>Lewin's Crown Cases on the Northern Circuit. (Gregory Alnutt Lewin. A Report of Cases Determined on the Crown Side on the Northern Circuit. S Sweet. Chancery Lane, London. 1834. <a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=5Yo0AAAAIAAJ&pg=PR1">Google Books</a>.)</li> <li>Observations on the Proposed Dismemberment of the Northern Circuit. Saunders and Benning. Fleet Street, London. 1843. <a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=2_BiAAAAcAAJ&pg=PA1">Google Books</a>.</li></ul> <h2 id="references">References</h2> <ol> <li id="fn:1"><p>"Other organisations". www.barcouncil.org.uk. Retrieved 19 July 2023. <a href="https://www.barcouncil.org.uk/about/about-the-bar/other-organisations.html" target="_blank">https://www.barcouncil.org.uk/about/about-the-bar/other-organisations.html</a> <a href="#fnref:1" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:2"><p>"Circuits of England & Wales". www.barcouncil.org.uk. Retrieved 19 July 2023. <a href="https://www.barcouncil.org.uk/about/about-the-bar/circuits-of-england-wales.html" target="_blank">https://www.barcouncil.org.uk/about/about-the-bar/circuits-of-england-wales.html</a> <a href="#fnref:2" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:3"><p>"Northern Circuit - Members". www.northerncircuit.org.uk. Retrieved 19 July 2023. <a href="https://www.northerncircuit.org.uk/members1/" target="_blank">https://www.northerncircuit.org.uk/members1/</a> <a href="#fnref:3" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:4"><p>"Northern Circuit - About Us". www.northerncircuit.org.uk. Retrieved 19 July 2023. <a href="https://www.northerncircuit.org.uk/about-us/" target="_blank">https://www.northerncircuit.org.uk/about-us/</a> <a href="#fnref:4" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:5"><p>"Northern Circuit - Home". www.northerncircuit.org.uk. Retrieved 19 July 2023. <a href="https://www.northerncircuit.org.uk/" target="_blank">https://www.northerncircuit.org.uk/</a> <a href="#fnref:5" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:6"><p>"Northern Circuit - About Us". www.northerncircuit.org.uk. Retrieved 19 July 2023. <a href="https://www.northerncircuit.org.uk/about-us/" target="_blank">https://www.northerncircuit.org.uk/about-us/</a> <a href="#fnref:6" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> </ol>