Ethics Question of the Week: Were there ethics standards when the Magna Carta was written?

Q. As we zero in on the 800th Anniversary of Magna Carta, were there professional ethics standards for lawyers at that time?

A. A legal profession we would recognize began to emerge in England in the 13th Century. Although ecclesiastical lawyers were obliged to take oaths attesting to their honor in dealing with the courts and their clients, one of the earliest and most significant professional standards in the civil realm was the Statute of Westminster I (1275). The Statute prohibited deceit and collusion and included various forms of prohibited conduct including forging writs, altering official documents, conflicts of interest, false statements, and antagonizing judges by unconvincing arguments. Punishments could reach as high as disbarment and imprisonment for a year and a day. 

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