Eighth Lamps of Advocacy

“The eighth Lamps of Advocacy” which have been referred as the qualities for an advocate to be successful at the bar, are as follows:

(1) Honesty, (2) Courage, (3) Industry, (4) Wit, (5) Eloquence, (6) Judgment, and (7) Fellowship. (8) Tact

1. Honesty:- Honesty is the best policy but in case of an advocate, it should be the foremost policy for a professional lawyer.

2. Courage:- Courage is the weapon which is developed through deep knowledge of law and straightforwardness of the advocate. An advocate can be successful through boldness which is developed by him persistently through his inner qualities.

3. Industry:- Good advocacy is the life of industry. Only an industrious advocate can become a successful lawyer. The act of industry makes an advocate successful in his profession. An advocate must study his brief in the same way as an actor studies his part of acting before going to perform.

4. Wit:- Wit is that lamp through which the advocacy enlightens his point of view to the presiding officer of the court in his favour to win the wit.

5. Eloquence:- Eloquence of manner of an advocate is the real eloquence. In eloquence there is physical as well as psychological side of advocacy. 

6. Judgment:- Through the lamp of judgment, an advocate takes a final decision for his success through perceptions and intuitions.

7. Fellowship:- It is through the feeling of fellowship that an advocate encourages his fellow-advocates to walk in the light of seven lamps of advocacy.

8. Tact:- The eighth lamp which enlightens an advocate to move on the path of success, is “tact”. Tact is the eighth lamp which enlightens an advocate to move forward in his profession. Tact is the intellectual quality of an advocate. Through “tact”, human side of putting things into action as a result of his judgment of taking decision, is carried on by an advocate.

Courtesy:- Legal Point Foundation