A Brief History of Legal Education, Lawyers and Bar Associations in Turkey

Abstract

The history of lawyers in Turkey began in the Tanzimat Period (19th century) in order to provide legal help for ordinary people in the courthouse. During this period, bureaucrats and pro-lawyers (called as ''dava vekili'' - proxy in the court) tried to establish the base for modern legal education and the profession which had not existed before. Members of the profession were named as ''muhami'' (defender-protector) for a while. In time the title ''avukat'' was adopted and the independence and powers of the profession were reinforced. In 2001 with an amendment of the law, lawyers were defined as a constituent of the judiciary. The year 2020 deserves to be called ''annus horribilis'' for the legal profession. It has been the year of the struggle against the repression to reduce the lawyer from being an inseparable element of the judiciary to a simple representative, by ignoring the public importance of the profession and eliminating its independence. In these difficult times, as the most independent and courageous element of the judiciary, the majority of lawyers and bar associations continue to fight against injustice. The question that most lawyers have in mind today is this: Where are we going?” It is essential to remember where we came from, in order to see where we are going and more importantly to determine the future of the profession and the whole legal establishment. The aim of this study is to examine the historical development of legal education, lawyers and bar associations and to contribute to the pursuit and endeavour of how the future can be built with lessons learned from the past.