Information for the Public
Finding a Solicitor
Bristol is one of the major legal centres in England and Wales with a wide range of firms of solicitors covering all aspects of legal work from private client work to multi-national corporate work, from litigation to commercial work. Bristol also has a number of barristers' chambers with both general and specialist members.
To search for a local solicitor please use the searchable database www.solicitors-online.com.
Sources of Free Legal Information and Advice
The Avon and Bristol Law Centre offers free, confidential information and advice on legal issues. They are based at 2 Moon Street, Stokes Croft, Bristol, BS2 8QE and they may be contacted on 0117 924 8662. The Centre offers advice on the following subjects: immigration, employment, discrimination, welfare rights, housing, and debt advice.
The Citizens Advice Bureau also offers a free and confidential advice service on legal and other personal and community issues. In Bristol, they are based at 12 Broad Street, Bristol. Their opening hours are Monday, Thursday and Friday 10am to 3.30pm, Wednesday 10am to 12pm, plus on a Tuesday a phone service only 10am to 1.30pm.
For further information about the work of Citizens Advice Bureaux, phone 0870 121 2134 or visit www.citizensadvice.org.uk.
Peter Browne's Law Shop provides a "do-it-yourself" service. The Law Shop is based at 48 Gloucester Road, Bishopston, Bristol, BS7 8BH Monday-Friday 10.30am-3pm, and may be contacted by phone on 0117 944 1966.
The Community Legal Service also has a website offering free legal information: see www.clsdirect.org.uk.
Courts
Bristol has a number of Courts, all located in the City Centre within easy reach of Bristol Temple Meads station and Bristol Coach Station.
Bristol County Court is located at Greyfriars in Lewins Mead and also at the Guildhall in Small Street. This Court deals with civil claims including cases about personal injury, divorce, mercantile matters and contract disputes amongst other things. The Court is open from 9:00am and 4:00pm. The Court is open for public to view cases.
Bristol Crown Court is located by the Bristol Law Society office in Small Street, near Corn Street and St. Nicholas Market. This Court deals with criminal cases only and is open from 8:30am to 5:00pm. The Court is open for the public to view cases.
Bristol Magistrates' Court is located in Marlborough Street, near the Broadmead Shopping Centre. This Court deals also with criminal cases and also licensing for pubs, clubs and restaurants. Magistrates selected from the local community preside over certain criminal cases instead of juries. The cases are normally classified as less serious offences. The Court is open from 8:30am until 4:30pm. The Youth Court and Family Proceedings Court are also located here.
The Bristol District Probate Registry is situated in the Crescent Centre in Temple Back, close to Bristol Temple Meads Station. The Probate Registry deals with Wills and Intestacies following death. The Registry is open from 9:30am until 4:00pm.
The Employment Tribunal is also located at the Crescent Centre, Temple Back. The Employment Tribunal deals with hearings of cases involving dismissal from employment and discrimination in employment.
There are also Magistrates' Courts in Yate, Bath, Chippenham and Trowbridge. There are County Courts in Weston-Super-Mare, Bath and Trowbridge.
Courts are of course serious places and you should be careful not to incur the anger of the judge by talking out of place. Remember to stand up every time the judge enters and exits the court.
Police Stations
There are several police stations in and around Bristol. These are part of the Avon & Somerset Police Force and can be located at:
Broadbury Road Police Station
Broadbury Road, Knowle, Bristol BS4 1JT
Bath Police Station
Manvers Street, Bath BA1 1JN
New Bridewell Police Station,
Rupert Street, Bristol BS99 1HZ
Southmead Road Police Station
Southmead Road, Southmead, Bristol BS10 5DW
Staple Hill Police Station
Staple Hill, Bristol BS16 5LX
Trinity Road Police Station
Trinity Road, St. Philips, Bristol BS2 0NW
Weston-super-Mare Police Station Walliscote Road, Weston-super-Mare BS23
1UU
The Bridewell Police Station is in central Bristol and the entrance is at the corner of Rupert Street and Bridewell Street.
Prisons
HMP Bristol is located near the centre of Bristol at 19 Cambridge Road, off the Gloucester Road (A38). The prison receives male prisoners and a limited number of young offenders, both convicted and remand.
North of Bristol is Eastwood Park Prison which is located in Falfield just off Junction 14 on the M5. It is a closed female prison. Nearby is Leyhill Prison in Wotton-Under-Edge also just off Junction 14. Leyhill is a minimum security prison housing low categorised male prisoners.
Qualifying as a Solicitor or Barrister
Bristol has two universities which provide legal education, the University of The West of England, located near the junction of the M4 and M32, and Bristol University, located on Park Row in the centre of Bristol.
Students must first obtain a degree, which need not necessarily be in Law. If you hold a qualifying Law Degree (normally a LLB (Bachelor of Laws)) you may claim exemption from the first part of the Bar and Law Society Examinations, as a qualifying Law Degree has included all of the subjects required by the Law Society and Bar Council to pass the first stage of their requirements. The subjects are public law, criminal law, European law, contract, tort, land law and equity and trusts. If you do not hold a qualifying law degree, you must study for the Graduate Diploma in Legal Studies.
Barristers
In order to practise in England and Wales the intending barrister must first join an Inn of Court. Many students do this while taking their degree. On successful completion of the degree intending barristers must take a further one-year full-time course, the Bar Vocational Course leading to the second part of the Bar examination. There then follows a minimum of one-year period of Pupillage - a form of apprenticeship in a barrister's chambers.
Solicitors
On completion of their degree intending solicitors also take a one-year full-time course. This is called the Legal Practice Course (LPC). Thereafter, there is a two-year training contract (apprenticeship in a firm of solicitors), all or most of which must be taken after completing the LPC.
Complaining about a Solicitor
When you engage a solicitor, they should give you initial information about the service they will provide and which you can expect. If you are dissatisfied with this service, the solicitor should tell you to whom within the firm you can make a complaint. If you are not happy with that you can make a complaint to the Legal Complaints Service which is a free and impartial body. You can contact them at their website www.legalcomplaints.org.uk. Bristol Law Society does not handle complaints about solicitors.