Chambers History
History of No.4 Fountain Court
In origin the oldest set of Barristers' Chambers in Birmingham, it was initially situated at 77 Colmore Row, where it remained for the first 50 years of its existence before moving to Cavendish House in Waterloo Street. In 1965 it relocated to, and took its new name from, Fountain Court on Steelhouse Lane.
In 1909, the first year in which the Law List recorded provincial barristers, there were 30 barristers in Birmingham of which no fewer than 10 were listed as practising from 77 Colmore Row. This set of chambers clearly dominated for a time, but the effects of the First World War, the decline of industrial activity during the slump and the departure of the more ambitious and successful members to London meant that it was another 40 years before it again expanded.
In the early part of its existence, the work of Chambers was mixed, with a wide ranging practice in the fields of chancery, family, industrial injuries, mining, planning, licensing, and intellectual property. With the availability of criminal legal aid, crime grew as a proportion of work and by the time of the merger with Coleridge Chambers represented the dominant area of practice.
Going back to the time of Sir Henry Maddocks QC in 1925, no fewer than three Recorders of Birmingham have been drawn from these Chambers, with some 16 Circuit and Crown Court judges also being appointed from its ranks. In 1999, Mr Justice Mitting was appointed to the High Court Bench. He was followed by the appointment of the late Mr Justice Wakerley in 2003 & Mr Justice Saunders in 2006.
History of Coleridge Chambers
Coleridge Chambers was founded in 1983 by Simon Brand and Andrew Fisher together with a number of others. It developed and expanded into a largely criminal set with 23 members by the time of the merger with No.4 Fountain Court in 2001.
Originally located in 'Coleridge Chambers' next to the Victoria Law Courts, in 1990 it moved into fully modernised and spacious accommodation in the nearby 'Citadel', where the merged Citadel Chambers is still based.