Incorporated Council of Law Reporting

The ICLR was founded in 1865 by W. T. S. Daniel QC, and its first meeting took place on 25 February at Westminster Hall, then the home of the Court of King's Bench, the Court of Common Pleas and the Court of Chancery. The council was incorporated under the Companies Act 1862 in 1870.

Largely working "as a private enterprise without state aid or interference", the council "was not intended to be profit making except in so far as it was necessary to make it self-supporting." Working on this principle, the council applied in 1966 for registration to become an official charity under section 4 of the Charities Act 1960 (8 & 9 Eliz. 2. c. 58). Upon rejection by the Charity Commission the council appealed under section 5(3) of the 1960 act, an action granted by Mr Justice Foster in the Chancery Division of the High Court. On appeal by the Inland Revenue to the Court of Appeal, who were joint defendants with the Attorney General, it was held that "the Council was established for exclusively charitable purposes since its purpose was to further the development and administration of the law and to make it known or accessible to all members of the community, which was a purpose beneficial to the community and of general public utility." In 1970, then, the ICLR was successfully registered as a charity in England and Wales.

Currently chaired by Richard Fleck CBE, the ICLR's council consists of members nominated by each of the Inns of Court and by the General Council of the Bar, and is based in 119 Megary House, Chancery Lane, London.