A SKETCH OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE LEGAL PROFESSION IN INDIA.

The legal profession as it exists in India today had its beginnings in the first years of British rule. At first, the prestige of the legal profession was very low. From this low state and disrepute the profession developed into the most highly respected and influential one in Indian society. However, after independence the relative prestige and public influence of the profession declined. This article attempts to sketch the rise of the profession from its low state during the first hundred years, to explain the sources of its respect and influence, to recount its accomplishments and contributions to the national life and, finally, to suggest some factors leading to its decline. The history of the legal profession in India begins with the establishment of the first British court in Bombay, India, in 1672 by Governor Gerald Aungier. The first barristers appear in India after the opening of the Supreme Court in Calcutta in 1774. As barristers began to come into the courts and work as advocates, the attorneys gave up pleading and worked as solicitors and the two grades of legal practice gradually became distinct and separate as they were in England.