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

The article focuses on the rise of the legal profession in India. The history of the legal profession in India begins with the establishment of the first British court in Bombay in 1672 by Governor Gerald Aungier. The "East India Company" tried to discourage the growth of the profession because the directors believed that more lawyers would bring an increase in lawsuits and foments more disputes in the colonies. The Company's attitude of contempt for the legal profession reflected the disreputable state of the bench and bar in England during the years of the Restoration. The first barristers appear in India after the opening of the Supreme Court in Calcutta, India in 1774. The establishment of the Supreme Court brought recognition, wealth, and prestige to the legal profession and brought a steady flow of well-trained barristers and solicitors into Calcutta, India. The expense of living as a gentleman attorney was often greater than the lucrative income of legal practice. From 1772, the British undertook to administer justice to the occupants of their territories outside the presidency towns. To regulate the profession a number of rules were laid down.