Right of Audience (noun)

Definition: The right of a lawyer to represent a client in court and conduct legal proceedings.

Example: Until recently, barristers had exclusive rights of audience.

Note: Barristers are automatically granted such rights in all courts for all proceedings by the General Council of the Bar whereas solicitors are not. This used to be the major distinction between barristers and solicitors in the U.K. – that barristers had exclusive rights of audience. Nowadays solicitors do have such rights, even in the higher courts but they require further training. However, it is still more likely that a barrister rather than a solicitor will advocate in court on cases of great complexity and importance.

This word features in Episode 17 of the Study Legal English Podcast.