THE HISTORY OF MADRAS HIGH COURT ADVOCATES ASSOCIATION
The admission of English barristers was a major turning point in the development of profession in India. When the High court of Madras was established in 1862 under its Letters Patent, three classes of lawyers existed. They were advocates who were barristers and attorneys who were solicitors; Vakils were non barristers. Of lesser learning, the
re emerged a sub-class, the pleaders. The Advocates were permitted to practice both on the original and appellate sides but Vakils were restricted to the appellate side only. In 1865, the advocates assembled under the banner of a professional organization called as Madras Bar. The first meeting was held on 14th March 1865. It became a powerful institution whose opinions could not be ignored either by the government or by the judges. It provided a meeting place and served as a medium to express the concerns of barristers. With legal scholarship honed through university law education, the Vakils won their first victory when they wrested through a Full Bench decision in 1876 the right to practice under both jurisdictions of the Madras Courts. The Vakils learnt their art of cross-examination from the barristers, gained their ability to sift through a mass of evidence and learnt to present their arguments in English language. Leadership remained in the hands of a small number of Vakils and when they realized that they were a force to reckon with, they formed themselves into an association in 1882 but it did not survive long. 22 Vakils came together later on 1st March 1889 and founded an organization known as the Madras High Court Vakils Association. Rama Rao. Between 1889 and 1920 out of 9 persons who occupied their positions as Presidents, seven became either Advocate Generals or Judges of High Court or both. The Madras High Court Vakils Association is a Well know and respected as MADRAS HIGHCOURT ADVOCATES ASSOCIATION ( MHAA) in india.
