For centuries law courts have existed and in those courts there have always been professionals helping people to be represented. But how did this come about and what is the history of the legal profession?
Representation
The act of someone representing another and speaking on their behalf can first be traced to Ancient Greece. Originally they felt that people should have to defend themselves when accused of a crime. However, around the 4th century it was established that an “orator” could speak on behalf of somebody else accused of a crime.
In Ancient Greece it was illegal for someone to take a fee in order to be in orator (though in reality this was often ignored). When Emperor Claudius came to power he was the one who decided to have a reformed, tightly regulated legal system.
This organised system was interrupted somewhat by the Middle Ages and it wasn’t until 1231 that this was overhauled by the Church in order to have a system of oaths to ensure the system was properly run.
England
The main system of rights most people know about is the Magna Carta. While it may not detail rights in the same way as the American constitution (and some have called for a British equivalent) it did detail people’s rights to legal representation, providing a framework with which to base rules on and it remains influential to this day.
In terms of legal issues, the English system was largely modelled on European courts- the main development by English courts was the idea of rules developed based on precedents through court judgements as opposed to legislation. Unlike other countries there also became a clearer distinction between barristers and solicitors (though in recent times that line has blurred a bit).
The legal system is ever changing – for example, in recent divorce hearings mediation has been actively encouraged and there have been calls for copyright law to be updated with the rise of social media.
History of Larcomes
Larcomes itself has a proud history. We were originally established in Portsmouth in the 19th century. Over time the firm has increased and we now have offices in both Portsmouth and Waterlooville, as well as a wide array of legal representatives who can be called upon to provide specialist knowledge for our clients. For example, we have people in our group who specialise in industrial diseases or employment issues.
Where we differ from other firms is that we offer the contact details of those representatives, so you can be sure that the person you want to get hold of is the one that you are speaking to.
However even though the amount of representatives might have increased and we have more resources to hand than our founders we have not forgotten the values that our firm represents. We believe not just in providing the best representation but also in giving people the attention that they deserve, providing both care as well as quality.
For more information about the services we offer please contact us today.