THE GREEK LEGAL SYSTEM
IN THE MAKING
THE GREEK LEGAL SYSTEM
IN THE MAKING
1863
THE FIRST LAW DEGREE
IN THE LAMBADARIOS FAMILY
Emmanouil Lampadarios did get “involved with law” by working at the Magistrates’ Court and then as a notary, but he never had the chance to follow any formal studies. The year his son was born in 1839, King Otto laid the foundation stone for the first university building. Thus, Constantine Lampadarios was the first attorney of the family to attend university. He graduated as a doctor of law on 15 June 1863 and started practicing law in Athens. That year marks a major milestone in the firm’s 160-year history. It is how the story begins.
According to Constantine’s hand-written notes:
“I studied law and my brother, Nikolaos, studied medicine. After completing my studies, I was appointed attorney in Athens and a short while later, associate judge with the Court of First Instance, a position I held for about three years.”
And he continues:
“I was nominated by the Bar Association for three consecutive terms as a member of the disciplinary committee of the Supreme Court of Greece (Areios Pagos) and served on it for three terms.”
MANY COURTS,
FEW LAWYERS
While Constantine Lampadarios was a student at university, he lived through the so-called “period of anarchy” that eventually led to King Otto’s disposal.
As the two opposing parties which had formed a type of national emergency government, were unable to agree on an aide for the new king, half of the ministers ended up resigning, leading the country to further political instability. In the modern Greek world that was struggling to take shape, the university and the study of law were highly esteemed.
Traditional forms of dispensing justice, with the advisory role of the town elders, fell into disuse thanks to the civil courts. The transition from an agrarian community to the urban setting brought with it plenty of judicial material, while the gradual consolidation of the state led defendants to the courts for offences that would previously have gone unpunished or were handled by self-appointed vigilantes. It was a time of many courts and few attorneys. A new legal culture prevailed.
At the age of 30, Constantine resigned from his position as an associate judge and devoted himself to practising law. His law offices were listed in the Boukas Business Guide in 1875, at this address: “Akademia Avenue, opposite the Serpieris residence.”