The Honourable Society of Gray's Inn, commonly known simply as Gray's Inn, is one of the four Inns of Court in London. To be called to the Bar and practise as a barrister in England and Wales, an individual must belong to one of these Inns. The Inn has existed for over 600 years. Its members have included many noted lawyers and judges, such as Francis Bacon, Lord Slynn, Lord Bingham of Cornhill, Lord Hoffmann, Lord Pannick and others. Outside the Bar and judiciary of England and Wales, members have included the clergy (including five Archbishops of Canterbury), the industrialist John Wynne, the astronomer John Lee, media figures, such as Huw Thomas, and members of the Bar and judiciary of other nations, such as Yang Ti-liang (former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Hong Kong) and Aitzaz Ahsan (former president of the Supreme Court Bar Association of Pakistan). As well as full members, the Inn also offers honorary membership to particularly distinguished members of society. During the Second World War, for example, both Franklin D. Roosevelt and Winston Churchill became honorary Benchers, and therefore members. Other than honorary members, this list only contains those individuals who were called to the Bar, not those who simply joined but left before qualifying.

Lawyers CallNameNoted forNotes1540 Serjeant-at-Law who investigated and prosecuted the Ridolfi plot1583 legal writer and qualified barrister, although he never practised the law1585 legal writer1674Lawyer and writer1792Considered the best equity barrister of his age, even though he could "neither read, write, walk, nor talk"1918Dhirendra Mohan DharIndian barrister, lawyer practiced at High Court of Calcutta.1922Indian polymath, jurist, economist, politician and social reformer and the father of the Indian Constitution1937legal writer and jurist of comparative and common law, President of the International Academy of Comparative Law1940V.T. ThomasIndian advocate, jurist and philanthropist.1959English barrister with a successful practice who became a Queen's Counsel in 1978 before inheriting a hereditary peerage and joining the House of Lords1961Samuel Eson Johnson Ecomaformer Chief Judge of Cross River State, Nigeria.1967Pakistani advocate, President of the Supreme Court Bar Association of Pakistan1967Michael MansfieldKing's Counsel and head of chambers at Nexus Chambers1977Francis Chang-SamSeychelles advocate, former Registrar General of Seychelles and Attorney-General of Seychelles. He also headed the secretariat of the Constitution of the Third Republic of Seychelles. 1980Noor Dean Fiji Indian lawyer and politician1988Roger Tan Kor MeeMalaysian advocate & solicitor, former member of the Malaysian Bar Council and now a Water Commissioner of Malaysia.

Judiciary CallNameNoted forNotes1342Chief Baron of the ExchequerWatt (1928) p.1451374Chief Justice of the King's BenchFoss (1870) p.2901420Justice of the Court of King's BenchFoss (1870) p.7771430Chief Justice of the King's BenchFoss (1870) p.941438Chief Justice of the King's BenchFoss (1870) p.4351448Chief Justice of the Common PleasFoss (1870) p.1361455Chief Justice of the King's BenchFoss (1870) p.3591461Chief Justice of the King's BenchFoss (1870) p.2541535Baron of the ExchequerFoss (1870) p.131581Baron of the Exchequer1611Chief Justice of Chester1614Chief Justice of the Common Pleas and of the King's BenchFoss (1870) p.531616Justice of the Court of Common PleasFoss (1870) p.801625Chief Baron of the ExchequerFoss (1870) p.7281627President of the High Court of Justice for the trial of King Charles I and first Lord President of the Council of State1627Justice of the Court of Common PleasFoss (1870) p.5301657Justice of the Court of Common Pleas and the Court of King's BenchFoss (1870) p.121651Justice of the Court of King's BenchFoss (1870) p.501663Lord Chief JusticeFoss (1870) p.3511670Justice of the Court of King's Bench1676Chief Baron of the Exchequer1729Master of the Rolls1792Justice of the Court of King's Bench and Baron of the ExhequerFoss (1870) p.631827Vice Chancellor in Bankruptcy and later, by custom, Judge of the High Court of Justice1879Master of the RollsFoss (1870) p.5671879Lord Chancellor of Ireland1891Law Lord1904Justice of the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka, Solicitor General of Sri Lanka1904Lord Justice of Appeal1907Judge of the King's Bench Division of the High Court of Justice1919Judge of the British Supreme Court for ChinaNorth China Herald, August 23, 1919, p496 and London Gazette, 11 October 1927, p11291928Justice of the International Court of Justice1937Assistant Judge Advocate General and circuit judge1946Lord Chancellor1946High Court Judge Chancery Division1954former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Hong Kong1956former president of the Mental Health Review Tribunal for England and Wales1959Lord of Appeal in Ordinary1959Lord Justice of Appeal1960Lord Justice of Appeal in Northern Ireland1961President of the Family Division1966Chief Justice of the Malawi High Court, Chief Justice of the Swaziland High Court1967Lord Justice of Appeal1969Brenda HalePresident of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom1970Judge of the Chancery Division1972Chief Justice of the Lahore High Court, Justice of the Supreme Court of Pakistan1973Dame First female Chief Justice of The Bahamas Supreme Court and then first female President of the Court of Appeal of The Bahamas (retired 2010)1974Lord Justice of Appeal in Northern Ireland

Politicians CallNameNoted forNotes1355Lord Chancellor of Ireland, Lord High TreasurerWatt (1928) p.1461515Politician and rebel who led the Pilgrimage of GraceWatt (1928) p.1141524Chief minister to King Henry VIII of England from 1532 to 15401533Lord Keeper of the Great Seal1552Speaker of the House of CommonsFoss (1870) p.7781554Speaker of the British House of Commons and Attorney-General for Ireland1560Member of Parliament for Preston, Attorney General of the Duchy of Lancaster1565Member of Parliament for Great Yarmouth and Tavistock1582Politician and statesman who served as Lord Chancellor and Attorney General1617Member of Parliament for Ipswich1631Solicitor General1644Member of Parliament for CambridgeshireEveline Cruickshanks, Stuart Handley and D. W. Hayton, ed (2002). The House of Commons, 1690-1715. vol. III. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. pp. 173-174.1648Member of the Sealed Knot, Surveyor General of Ireland, Member of Parliament for Dungarvan in the Irish House of Commons1658Solicitor General and Speaker of the House of Commons1673Lord Mayor of the City of LondonFoster (1889) p.3181682Member of Parliament for Penryn, Saltash, Helston, and Launceston1718Member of Parliament for Anglesey1839Member of Parliament for Peterborough1871Member of Parliament for Ceredigion1885Sidney WebbMember of Parliament for Seaham, President of the Board of Trade, Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs, Secretary of State for the Colonies, Co-founder London School of Economics1894Lord Chancellor, Secretary of State for India1910Member Bengal Legislative Council 1922Solicitor General, Attorney General, Lord Chancellor and Home Secretary1922Attorney General1923Premier of Barbados1924Prime Minister of Burma1933Sri Lankan independence activist and founder of the nation's first political party, the Lanka Sama Samaja Party. Also served in cabinet post.1935Attorney General, Lord Chancellor1944Member of Parliament for Merioneth1948The first Indo-Trinidadian to hold the office of President of Trinidad and Tobago and was the first Muslim Head of State in the Americas1950Fourth President of the Republic of Cyprus1954Second President of the Republic of Cyprus1954Fifth President of the Republic of Cyprus1959Premier of Barbados1959 Sri Lankan Member of Parliament and Minister of Education1974Member of Parliament1975Solicitor General for England and Wales?Stuart YoungPrime Minister-designate of Trinidad and Tobago

Clergy CallNameNoted forNotes1520Bishop of Lincoln1555Bishop of WinchesterDouthwaite (1886) p.1951588Archbishop of CanterburyDouthwaite (1886) p.1941589Bishop of Winchester1592Archbishop of Canterbury1615Archbishop of Canterbury1615Bishop of Exeter1622Bishop of Lichfield1623Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland1635Archbishop of Canterbury1663Archbishop of Canterbury

Other CallNameNoted forNotes1599Principal of Jesus College, Oxford1602antiquary1639Auditor of the imprests1669industrialist1841Humorist and police magistrate1863Astronomer1882Journalist and humorist for Punch1905Civilian1913Intelligence officer with MI5 and first Chairman of the Conservative Research Department 1913Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Labour1929labour law reformer and internationalist1951presenter for ITN News?legal academic and philosopher

Honorary members CallNameNoted forNotes1590Civil lawyer1606Member of Parliament for Essex1942Prime Minister of the United KingdomGray's Inn, "List of Honorary Benchers of Gray's Inn since 1883", http://www.graysinn.org.uk [Accessed: 25 March 2019]1943President of the United States2004Chief Justice of the Court of Final Appeal of Hong Kong

See also List of members of Lincoln's Inn List of members of Middle Temple

References

Further reading