Skip to main content

LUP Student Papers

LUND UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

Vad har hänt med god advokatsed? - Advokatetikens utveckling under Sveriges Advokatsamfund – en rättshistorisk studie av förändringens faktorer

Lunderot, Linnéa LU (2025) JURM02 20251
Department of Law
Faculty of Law
Abstract
The legal profession holds a unique position in society. Lawyers are not government employees but are state regulated, considered essential for a democratic rule of law, and are under constant legal and public scrutiny. These conditions demand moral integrity from lawyers and distinguish the profession from typical profit-oriented consultancy services. This position in society might give the impression of a long-established profession. However, Swedish lawyers only gained their explicit place in the legal system in the 1940s, and before this time, the profession was so poorly regarded that educated jurists were rare among those who called themselves lawyers. The work carried out by lawyers and their professional body to elevate their... (More)
The legal profession holds a unique position in society. Lawyers are not government employees but are state regulated, considered essential for a democratic rule of law, and are under constant legal and public scrutiny. These conditions demand moral integrity from lawyers and distinguish the profession from typical profit-oriented consultancy services. This position in society might give the impression of a long-established profession. However, Swedish lawyers only gained their explicit place in the legal system in the 1940s, and before this time, the profession was so poorly regarded that educated jurists were rare among those who called themselves lawyers. The work carried out by lawyers and their professional body to elevate their status over the past century has thus been extensive.
Legal ethics, developed by the lawyers themselves over the past century, play a crucial role in defining the legal profession, but the lawyer's role and the oversight they are subjected to have been the subject of extensive legal and political debate during the 2000s. This thesis examines the development of legal ethics in Sweden from the early 1900s to the beginning of the 21st century, with a particular focus on the concept of god advokatsed, "good legal practice" and the decisive role of the Swedish Bar Association in its development. By analysing the changes and identifying the central driving forces be-hind them, the thesis aims to provide a deeper understanding of the construction and development of the legal profession's role and responsibility in the legal system. The study uses a legal development perspective to compare ethical frameworks during three different periods and to place the legal development in its historical context.
The review shows how expectations of the lawyer and the Bar Association's role have constantly adapted to changing social and legal conditions, which have influenced the legal profession's self-image and function in society. During the association's early years, there were no guiding rules for good legal practice at all; over the following century, this body of rules has not only emerged but snowballed into an extensive set of rules. Yet, it is often considered insufficient to guide lawyers in an increasingly complex working environment and under the increasingly proactive scrutiny of the Bar Association.
The thesis also highlights the recurring tensions between lawyers' independence and their loyalty to the legal system, and how these tensions have shaped the legal profession's ethical framework. The investigation shows how the Bar Association, since its statutory establishment in 1942, has tried to balance the interests of society and lawyers in its execution of its roles as a supervisory and professional organisation, and that a more administrative role has since emerged within the Bar Association. The discussion about the lawyer's role in society has been greater during the 2000s than in previous periods, with increased demands on lawyers' moral compass. However, lawyers today are less frequently subject to disciplinary consequences compared to previously reviewed periods. The Bar Association's oversight work has also increased significantly in scope during the 2000s.
This thesis theorises that increased scrutiny does not necessarily lead to a higher ethical level among lawyers or ensure the Bar Association's continued right to the supervisory role. At least not if the Bar Association is to continue being a professional body and not only a supervisory authority. In summary, the thesis aims to contribute to a deeper understanding of the background of legal ethics and the factors behind its development, as well as the role the Swedish Bar Association has played in this part. (Less)
Abstract (Swedish)
Advokatyrket har en ovanlig plats i samhället. Advokater är inte statligt anställda men statligt reglerade, anses väsentliga för en demokratisk rättsstat och står under konstant granskning. Dessa förutsättningar ställer krav på advokaternas moraliska rättfärdighet och särskiljer yrket från gängse förtjänstorienterade konsulttjänster. Denna ställning i samhället kan ge intrycket av en sedan länge etablerad yrkeskår. Faktum är att svenska advokater fick sin uttalade plats i rättsväsendet på 1940-talet och att yrket före denna tid var så lågt ansett att utbildade jurister var sällsynta bland dem som kallade sig för advokater. Arbetet som utförts av advokaterna och deras yrkeskår för att höja sin status under det senaste århundradet har... (More)
Advokatyrket har en ovanlig plats i samhället. Advokater är inte statligt anställda men statligt reglerade, anses väsentliga för en demokratisk rättsstat och står under konstant granskning. Dessa förutsättningar ställer krav på advokaternas moraliska rättfärdighet och särskiljer yrket från gängse förtjänstorienterade konsulttjänster. Denna ställning i samhället kan ge intrycket av en sedan länge etablerad yrkeskår. Faktum är att svenska advokater fick sin uttalade plats i rättsväsendet på 1940-talet och att yrket före denna tid var så lågt ansett att utbildade jurister var sällsynta bland dem som kallade sig för advokater. Arbetet som utförts av advokaterna och deras yrkeskår för att höja sin status under det senaste århundradet har således varit omfattande.
Advokatetiken, utvecklad av advokaterna själva under det senaste århundradet, har en avgörande roll i att definiera advokatyrket men advokatens roll och tillsynen de ställs under har varit föremål för omfattande rättslig och politisk debatt under 2000-talet. Denna uppsats granskar utvecklingen av advokatetik i Sverige från början av 1900-talet till 2000-talets början, med särskilt fokus på begreppet "god advokatsed" och Sveriges Advokatsamfunds avgörande roll i dess utveckling. Genom att analysera förändringarna och identifiera de centrala drivkrafterna bakom dessa, syftar uppsatsen till att ge en djupare förståelse för konstruktionen och utvecklingen av advokatkårens roll och ansvar i rättsväsendet. Studien använder ett rättsutvecklingsperspektiv för att jämföra etiska regelverk under tre olika perioder, samt placera rättsutvecklingen i sin historiska kontext.
Granskningen visar hur förväntningarna på advokaten och advokatsamfundets roll ständigt anpassats till förändrade samhälls- och rättsliga förhållanden, vilka har påverkat advokatkårens självbild och funktion i samhället. Under samfundets första år saknades vägledande regler för god advokatsed helt, under följande århundrade har denna regelmassa inte bara uppstått utan mångfaldigats. Ändå anses detta ofta otillräckligt för att vägleda advokaterna i en allt snårigare omvärld och under det alltmer proaktivt granskande Samfundet.
Uppsatsen belyser också de återkommande spänningarna mellan advokaters oberoende och deras lojalitet till rättsväsendet, samt hur dessa spänningar har format advokatkårens etiska ramverk. Undersökningen visar hur Samfundet sedan dess lagstadgande 1942 har försökt balansera samhällets och advokaternas intresse, i sitt utförande av sina roller som tillsyns- och yrkesorganisation, samt att en mer förvaltande roll framträtt för advokatsamfundet. Diskussionen om advokatens roll i samhället har varit större under 2000-talet än tidigare perioder, med ökade krav på advokaternas moraliska kompass. Advokater idag döms däremot mer sällan till disciplinära följder jämfört med tidigare granskade perioder. Samfundets tillsynsarbete har även ökat flerfaldigt i omfattning under 2000-talet. Denna framställning teoretiserar att ökad granskning inte nödvändigtvis leder till högre etisk nivå hos advokaterna eller säkerställer Samfundets fortsatta rätt till tillsynsrollen, åtminstone inte om Samfundet fortsatt ska vara en yrkeskår och inte tillsynsmyndighet. Sammanfattningsvis ämnar denna framställning bidra med en fördjupad förståelse för advokatetikens bakgrund och faktorerna bakom dess utveckling, samt rollen Sveriges advokatsamfund spelat i denna del. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Lunderot, Linnéa LU
supervisor
organization
alternative title
What has happened to the lawyers' code of conduct? - The development of legal ethics under the Swedish Bar Association - a legal historical study of the factors of change
course
JURM02 20251
year
type
H3 - Professional qualifications (4 Years - )
subject
keywords
rättshistoria, advokatetik, rättsutveckling
language
Swedish
id
9189217
date added to LUP
2025-06-16 13:54:56
date last changed
2025-06-27 13:19:48
@misc{9189217,
  abstract     = {{The legal profession holds a unique position in society. Lawyers are not government employees but are state regulated, considered essential for a democratic rule of law, and are under constant legal and public scrutiny. These conditions demand moral integrity from lawyers and distinguish the profession from typical profit-oriented consultancy services. This position in society might give the impression of a long-established profession. However, Swedish lawyers only gained their explicit place in the legal system in the 1940s, and before this time, the profession was so poorly regarded that educated jurists were rare among those who called themselves lawyers. The work carried out by lawyers and their professional body to elevate their status over the past century has thus been extensive.
Legal ethics, developed by the lawyers themselves over the past century, play a crucial role in defining the legal profession, but the lawyer's role and the oversight they are subjected to have been the subject of extensive legal and political debate during the 2000s. This thesis examines the development of legal ethics in Sweden from the early 1900s to the beginning of the 21st century, with a particular focus on the concept of god advokatsed, "good legal practice" and the decisive role of the Swedish Bar Association in its development. By analysing the changes and identifying the central driving forces be-hind them, the thesis aims to provide a deeper understanding of the construction and development of the legal profession's role and responsibility in the legal system. The study uses a legal development perspective to compare ethical frameworks during three different periods and to place the legal development in its historical context.
The review shows how expectations of the lawyer and the Bar Association's role have constantly adapted to changing social and legal conditions, which have influenced the legal profession's self-image and function in society. During the association's early years, there were no guiding rules for good legal practice at all; over the following century, this body of rules has not only emerged but snowballed into an extensive set of rules. Yet, it is often considered insufficient to guide lawyers in an increasingly complex working environment and under the increasingly proactive scrutiny of the Bar Association.
The thesis also highlights the recurring tensions between lawyers' independence and their loyalty to the legal system, and how these tensions have shaped the legal profession's ethical framework. The investigation shows how the Bar Association, since its statutory establishment in 1942, has tried to balance the interests of society and lawyers in its execution of its roles as a supervisory and professional organisation, and that a more administrative role has since emerged within the Bar Association. The discussion about the lawyer's role in society has been greater during the 2000s than in previous periods, with increased demands on lawyers' moral compass. However, lawyers today are less frequently subject to disciplinary consequences compared to previously reviewed periods. The Bar Association's oversight work has also increased significantly in scope during the 2000s.
This thesis theorises that increased scrutiny does not necessarily lead to a higher ethical level among lawyers or ensure the Bar Association's continued right to the supervisory role. At least not if the Bar Association is to continue being a professional body and not only a supervisory authority. In summary, the thesis aims to contribute to a deeper understanding of the background of legal ethics and the factors behind its development, as well as the role the Swedish Bar Association has played in this part.}},
  author       = {{Lunderot, Linnéa}},
  language     = {{swe}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Vad har hänt med god advokatsed? - Advokatetikens utveckling under Sveriges Advokatsamfund – en rättshistorisk studie av förändringens faktorer}},
  year         = {{2025}},
}