| Return to Contents The Advocates’s Oath Richard Falle The Royal Court administers an oath of office to all public functionaries in the Bailiwick of Jersey. With a single exception, it is sufficient that such oath be taken once on assuming office. Advocates, by contrast, as if to recharge a waning sense of vocation, used formerly to take their oath at the beginning of each of the three law terms on the first day of the Assise d’Héritage. This is now done once a year only at the beginning of the Michaelmas term. If unable to renew his oath at the appointed time an advocate must do so at the first available sitting of the court thereafter and until so sworn has no right of audience. There is antiquity not only in this obligation but also in the form of oath. The Chefs Plaids d’Héritage, an ancient land court and now the Héritage Division of the Royal Court, has its origins in the early years of the Norman Duchy. The ceremonial at the opening of the Assise whereby the feudal magnates of the Islands both lay and ecclesiastical are summoned to court pursuant to their duty of "comparence" harks back to a period predating the institution of the office of Jurat when the feudal courts were assisted by such persons. It is an open question whether the taking of the oath of the advocates immediately after the comparence of these francs tenants dates from that period or is a more recent addition to the ceremonial. The record suggests that the former may be true. There were advocates practising at least as early as the beginning of the 14th century. The "Ordonnances" made in Jersey by the itinerant justices of 1323 made special provision for the duties of an advocate and the taking of an oath. The position is recorded by Julien Havet: [1] "il leur est prer qu’ils ne plaideront que des causes justes, qu’ils serviront fidèlement leurs clients et qu’ils ne traîneront point les procès en longueur par des chicances vaines, le tout sous les peines que la cour jugera à propos d’infliger aux contrevenants; et ce serment doit être renouvelé tous les ans à la cour qui suit la Saint-Michel". [2] La Chartre aux Normands was granted to a disgruntled province by Louis, King of France, in 1315. It was intended to be a confirmation of ancient rights and customs and an assurance that the conquest of the Duchy in 1204 had not meant the loss of those ancient customs. Among the provisions of that Charter appears the following:- "Item qui aucun advocat ne recoive pour son sallaire pour la greigneure cause aultre trente livres tournoys; et es autres mendres soient les sallaires establis du iuge selon la quantite des causes et la coustumance du lieu et le pouere de la personne/et la noblesse de ladvocat. Esdictes choses soient les advocats contrains chacun an par leurs sermens et qui fera le contraire soit puny griefvement." Both the Norman Charter and the itinerant justices required that the advocate’s oath be renewed regularly. No form is given in the Chartre aux Normands but it seems reasonable to conclude that the above reference was to a form of oath well known and understood at the time. The earliested edition of Le Grand Coutumier that I have been able to consult is that of 1515 [3] . The preface mentions that in addition to the Latin and French texts of the principal work: "… sont adioustes selon lordre a ce requise plusieurs traicties et choses tres necessaires pour lestat de la iustice a tous iuges/advocats/officiers et autres gens dudit estat." Among these and shortly after the text of the Norman Charter is the following:- Ci ensuit les sermens que font les advocats en l’eschiquier de normendie. Premierement que loyaulment & diligemment ils excerceront loffice de conseil contre quelconque personne que ce soit. Item que ils ne soustendront en demandant ne en deffendant aucunes causes se ils ne les treuvent en leurs consciences estre bonnes et loyaulx. Item que se il leur vient a congnoissance par quelque maniere que ce soit que la cause soit mauvaise en quelque estat quelle soit: plus ny advocasseront et du tout la delaisseront. Item que en leurs pledairies soit en demandant ou en deffendant en replicant ne autrement ils ne proposeront ne controuveront aucuns fais que leur maistre ou son attourne ne leur ait dit et afferme estre vrais. Item que en conseillant ne en pledant ils ne proposeront ne allegueront fait/coustume/usage/registre/ou autre chose se ils ne croyent qu ce soit raison et droicture. Item se ils scaivent en aucune chose estre le droit du duc de normendie ou luy toucher en aucune maniere: ils en advertiront la court. Item que pour quelconque cause tant soit grande de quelconque personne ils ne prendront pour leur sallaire oultre trente livres tournois et de mendre au dessoubs juste et raisonnable porcion selon la quantite des causes et les facultes des personnes. Item quils ne feront point marchie avec leurs parties ou leurs attournes daucune quantite de la cause ou davoir aucune part ou porcion de la cause contencieuse. Item que il(sic) ne demourront en leschiquier pour conseiller ou dire leur opinion affin de iuger en aucune maniere plustost en la cause ou ils auroient estre par avant advocats ou conseilliers. Item quant la cour leur demandera leur advis daucune chose ils en respondront loyaulment toute haine ostee." Which of these forms was favoured by the Jersey court, the oath stipulated in their Ordinance of 1323 by the English justices or that of the Norman Exchequer? There is not much doubt where sentiment lay. The rolls of the Quo Warranto Assises contain much material to suggest that the visits of the itinerant justices were viewed as both intrusive and onerous by the Islanders. The same rolls contain repeated declarations of the attachment of Jerseymen to the ancient custom of Normandy. Philippe Le Geyt writing in the late 17th century does not entirely resolve the question. He is helpful on procedure but not, except perhaps by inference, on the form of the oath. "En 1569, le 20 avril, il fut ordonné que les Articles du serment des Avocats seroyent mis par écrit. Ils sont obligez de réitérer ce serment à l’ouverture de tous les Chefs Plaids. On croit qu’il est besoin d’un tel remède contre la tentation à laquelle ils sont exposez; et celuy des Avocats qui ne se trouve point à l’assise, est interdit de postuler jusqu’à ce qu’il ait renouvelé le serment." The Assise d’Heritage was indeed held on the 20th April 1569. Unfortunately, I have found nothing in the records for that day relevant to the order noted by Le Geyt. It is assumed however, that such an order was made at this period and that as a result the advocate’s oath was cast in a revised form or a decision taken to elect the Norman form rather than that prescribed by the itinerant justices. The reference to "articles" seems to suggest something more substantial than the summary prescriptions of 1323. The advocate’s oath taken before the Norman Exchequer in Rouen became the model for courts elsewhere in the Duchy. Terrien in 1574 gives it as the form in general use. The oath in his text is almost identical to that appearing in the edition of 1515 save for a slight modernisation of spelling and the substitution of the King for the Duke. King John lost continental Normandy in 1204 retaining only the Islands. At the Treaty of Paris in 1259 his son King Henry III formally abandoned his claim to the title of Duke of Normandy. The advocate’s oath in Jersey if based on that used in the Court of the Exchequer would accordingly from that date have required some amendment, no longer referring to the Duke and to the Court of the Exchequer but henceforth to the King and the Royal Court. If the Islanders were not conversant with the form of oath in the Court of Exchequer when it was first promulgated, they must have had copies of the printed editions of Le Grand Coustumier which date from 1483. They were certainly also familiar with the writings of Terrien. The collection or Code of Laws for the Island of Jersey approved by Order in Council in 1771 contains much disparate material drawn from the records of the Royal Court and the Actes of the States. Some provisions are much older than others. The advocate’s oath printed in the Code may well be the result of the order of the Royal Court made in or about 1569. It is, in all material respects in the form that is still in use to this day. "SERMENT DES AVOCATS DE LA COUR ROYALE" "Vous jurez et promettez par la foi et serment que vous devez à Dieu, que bien et fidèlement vous exercerez l’Etat et Charge d’Avocat en la Cour Royale de notre souverain Seigneur le Roi … par la Grace de Dieu, Roi de la Grand Bretagne, &c. en cette son Isle de Jersey, la Majesté duquel vous reconnoissez sous Dieu, suprême Gouverneur en tous ses Royaumes, Provinces et Dominions, quittant et renonçant à toutes autres supériorités foraines et étrangéres; Vous garderez le droit de Sa Majesté et de ses sujets, et soutiendrez l’honneur et gloire de Dieu et de son Eglise. Vous défendrez et maintiendrez les privilèges, franchises, coutumes et libertés de l’Isle, vous opposant à quiconque les voudroit enfreindre. Vous n’entreprendrez ni ne soutiendrez, soit en demandant ou défendant, aucune Cause qui vous paroîtra dénuée de tout droit, ou intentée ou soutenue par méchancété. Vous ne controuverez aucuns faits, si vos Cliens ne vous les ont affirmés pour vrais. Vous ne proposerez ni alléguerez aucun fait, coutume ni usage, que vous sçaurez être contraires à droit et justice; et si aucune chose touche le droit de Sa Majesté, vous en informerez la Cour, et le maintiendrez. Vous ne ferez aucun marché ni contrat avec vos Cliens, d’aucune Cause en litige ou contentieuse, ni de partie d’icelle. Vous vous contenterez de gages et salaires, raisonnables, et assisterez aux Veuves, Pauvres, Orphélins et Personnes indéfendues. Et finalement en vos conclusions, vous vous conformerez selon le bon avis de Monsieur le Bailly, ou de Monsieur son Lieutenant, et de Messieurs de Justice; assistant aux Cours, selon le devoir de votre Charge." The adaptations made to the ancient model are perhaps too obvious to mention. They reflect generally the change from a Ducal to a Royal Court and a concern that lawyers on the outer edges of the King’s dominions speaking the French tongue and subject to a Norman custom should affirm their allegiance to the English Crown. An addition to the older form and, for the Jersey advocate, perhaps most important, is the obligation to give assistance "… aux Veuves, Pauvres, Orphélins et Personnes Indéfendues." This expresses the principle upon which the system of free legal aid has for long been based in Jersey. According to Le Geyt three centuries ago: "un avocat doit plaider pour les pauvres et pour les personnes idéfendues, et s’il ne le fait pas, le Juge doit d’office le contraindre de le faire". As for the advocate’s reward, "on plaide toujours gratis pour ceux qui sont veritablement pauvres. C’est le riche qui dédommage quand son tour vient". The annual renewal at the Assise d’Heritage is a solemn ceremony. All members of the Jersey Bar stand silent, right hands raised, while the Bailiff administers the oath. It is an occasion which perhaps smacks more of antique ritual than of a procedure for the regulation of a modern profession. Certainly, the text of the oath does not amount to a comprehensive code of conduct. For some however, the regular repetition of a hallowed form, represents an opportunity to affirm commitment to enduring principles and their identity with an ancient jurisdiction. Richard Falle is an advocate of the Royal Court and senior partner at Bois and Bois, Bond Street Chambers, 1 & 2, Bond Street, St. Helier, Jersey JE4 5QR |
| Footnotes - (Top) [1] - Les Couoyales des Iles Anglo Normandes, Paris, 1878 page 79 [2] - Ite jurent advocati quod nullam causam fovebunt, nisi quam justam et bonam crediderint, et quod fidele patrocinium clientibus suis prestabunt, et quod perfrivolas exceptiones seu cavillationes lites non prorogabunt. Et si quis contrafecerit, ad arbitrium Baillivi et Juratorum puniatur. Predictum vero juramentum singulis annis in prima Curia post festum sancti Michaelis renovetur (Second report, page 299) [3] - Le Gstumier du Pays et Duché de Normandie, imprimé pour Michel Angier, libraire, Rouen. [4] - Les Ma de Philippe Le Geyt, Tome IV page 144 [5] - Comes du Droict Civil tant public que privé observé au Pays et Duché de Normandie, Rouen 1574, De l’Ordre et Style de Procéder ès Courts inferieures page 352 [6] - Cousts et duché de Normendie, 1483, believed to have been printed in Rouen. "ensuée le repertoire de ce present livre en quel sont contenus … les articles que doivent iurer les advocats de Normendie en faisant le serment dadvocacie". [7] - Op. page 150 |