Seven Lamps of Advocacy

Introduction
• Advocacy is an honorable profession. Advocates are
part and parcel of the judiciary system. Their
endeavors solve the conflicts in the society.
Advocates defend the rights and liabilities. They
hold important and unique place in the society.
Advocacy is not a craft but a calling; a profession
wherein devotion to duty constitutes the hallmark.
• Legal profession is regarded to be a noble one. A
good advocate should possess some essential
qualities and equipment.
• Justice ‘Abbot Parry’ qualifies the following
qualities as “Seven Lamps of Advocacy”. They are
• (i) Honesty
• (ii) Courage
• (iii) Industry
• (iv) Wit
• (v) Eloquence,
• (vi) Judgment and
• (vii) Fellowship.
 Honesty
• Honesty means the quality of straightforwardness; freedom from
deceit, cheating or stealing and not telling lies. Honesty is the most
important quality that an advocate should possess. His thoughts
words and deeds should have sincere co-relation to each other
with genuineness. An Advocate should be dependable reliable to
everyone who seeks his advise and services. The nobleness of legal
profession lies in honesty itself. An advocate should not do illegal
practices. He should not do any act which will lead to professional
misconduct. He should disclose the real facts and legal profession
to his clients frankly. Honesty, integrity and character are
inseparable. These there virtues together are essential for the
success of an advocate. The great sages of law had sucked the law
from the breasts of knowledge, honesty, gravity and integrity.
 Courage
• Courage is the quality that enables a person to control fear
in the face of danger, pain, misfortune, etc.; It is the duty of
an Advocate to fearlessly uphold the interest of his client by
all fair means without fear of any unpleasant consequences
to himself or any other person. It is the knowledge and the
skill of the Advocate that gives him the necessary courage
and confidence to present the case fearlessly and to uphold
the interest of the client. Courage is as good a weapon in
the forum as in the war camp, According to Charles
Hutton’s. ‘He hath in perfection the three chief qualifications
of an advocate; Boldness, — Boldness and Boldness’.
 Industry
• Advocacy is needed a life of industry. An advocate must
study his brief in the same way that an actor studies his
part. means hard work. Hard works is absolutely necessary
for an Advocate. His knowledge of law should be up to date.
He shall never be ignorant of the current law in force. He
shall get acquainted with the latest law by systematic study.
If one ignores the law, the law will also ignore him. That is
why it is said that “law is the jealous mistress”. Lord Eldon
Says, “An advocate must live like a hermit and work like a
horse”. Advocacy is an intellectual profession. Intelligence
and knowledge will be sharpened with hard-work and
strenuous efforts.
 Wit
• Wit means clever and humorous expression of ideas;
liveliness of spirit. Wit flows from intelligence;
understanding and quickness of mind. Wit lessens the
work load of an advocate. So constant clash between them
is common. Anxiety for a favourable verdict on the part of
the lawyers; and perpetual worry for the pursuit of the
truth on the part of the judges generate strain and tension.
• It relaxes his mental strain. Often the wit of an advocate
will turn a Judge from an unwise course, where Judgment,
or rhetoric would certainly fail. The lamp of wit is needed
to lighten the darkness of advocacy.
 Eloquence
• The success of an advocate depends upon his eloquence.
Eloquence means fluent speaking and skilful use of language to
persuade or to appeal to the feelings of others. Fluent speaking
impresses the listener. As advocate must be fluent, skilful in
using appropriate words to impress the Court. Eloquence
attracts the attention of the listener. Eloquence is related to the
art of oratory. ‘Eloquence of manner is real eloquence’ and
there is a physical as well as psychological side to advocacy.
• Words are his keys of thoughts. Strong vocabulary gives him
assurance, build his self confidence and build his personality.
Words must be employed with eloquence. The art of persuasive
and impressive speaking will give the desired result in his favour.
 Judgement
• Judgment is an intellectual capacity, ‘the inspiration which enables a
man to translate good sense into right action’. It means the ability to
come to a sensible conclusion and make wise decisions at the relevant
time in the proper way. It is on the basis of these conclusions he should
employ the necessary facts and the techniques in the case which he is
engaged. This quality is necessary from the beginning of filing the case
till its final disposal. An Advocate must always anticipate all the possible
moves of the other side and must develop the necessary presence of
mind , alertness and tact to cope with any awkward situation of difficulty
that may arise in the case.
• Judge Abbot Parry has referred to judgment as one of the seven lamps;
but he refers to it essentially as an intellectual capacity, ‘the inspiration’
which enables a mean to translate good sense into right action e.g.
‘seeing the right point of his case’ and the like.
 Fellowship
• Fellowship means the membership in friendly association or
companionship. Fellowship is exactly like great public schools, the boys of
which have grown older, and have exchanged boyish for manly objects. In
legal profession, one Advocate fights with another Advocate for justice
before the learned judge. There may be controversies and contradictions
in their contention relating to the case, but that shall never affect the
fellowship. The Advocates should refer the opposite party’s Advocate as
“Learned Friend” and the judge should be referred as “Learned Judge”. In
order to maintain the fellowship, the Bar Council of India has laid down
certain rules to be observed as the duty to colleagues. Among advocates,
there is just the same rough familiarly, the general ardour of character, the
same kind of public opinion expressed in exactly the same blunt,
unmistakable manner. By keeping the lump of fellowship burning,
advocates encourage each other by sharing the knowledge to walk in the
light of the seven lamps of advocacy.
 Tact
• A new lamp was added by K.V.Krishnaswamy Aiyer, in his
book “Professional Conduct and Advocacy” adds one more lamp
i.e. tact. Tact means handling people and situations skilfully and
without causing offence. An advocate must be in a position to
tackle and win his client, opponent party, opponent advocate in a
smoother way. Many people of unequal ability have failed for
want of tack. An advocate should not quarrel with Court or loose
temper over trifle things in the Court and outside. Men of
unquestioned ability have suffered for quarreling with the
tribunal or for standing on their dignity over trifles, for getting
their clients, or for losing their tempers; they are men of parts
but more properly refers to the human side of putting into action
the result of one’s judgment.