jean-louis halpérin in Paris and considered itself as an organ “representing” the king’s body.3 In the period of about a century, the Parlement evolved from a feudal counsel to an organized court with a whole range of lawyers. At the beginning of the fourteenth century (1306), under the reign of PhilippeIV, a list gives the name of two bishops and two “barons” (the count of Dreux and the count of Boulogne) who served alternatively as presidents, then for composing the main chamber (Grand’Chambre) of eleven masters linked with the clergy (in fact some of them, like Nogaret, were not ordered as priests and could continue to live as lay persons) and eleven lay masters. It is difficult to ascertain that all these judges were educated in law (in Italy or in France), but the most famous (Gilles Aycelin, Guy de la Charité, Pons d’Aumelas, Nicolas de Châlons, Guillaume de Plaisians, Michel Mauconduit, Bérenger Frédol, Pierre de Grez, Jean Le Breton) were masters, doctors or even professors (like Pierre de Belleperche, at the same time a professor in Orléans and abishop) in law.4 One has to add to these two dozens of judges of theGrand’Chambre – who could change every year – a second group endowed with the enquiries (or written investigations after an appeal before the court or adecision from theGrand’ Chambre) that formed theChambre des enquêtes (only nine persons in 1306, but forty judges at the middle of the fourteenth century) and a third group devoted to receive the requests of the plaintiffs – nine persons in 1306. Progressively, some differences were created between these persons working in the court of theParlement. Presidents were designated for the different chambers and a first president for theGrand’Chambre: Philippe de Cuignieres or Simon de Buci (died in 1369) were among the first high judges to get this title. About two or three decades after a royal ordinance recognizing the role of “advocates” before the royal courts as before the ecclesiastical courts (the 1274 ordinance contained rules about the oath and the fees of these advocates), there were perhaps three dozens of advocates pleading before theParlement.5 Some of them were legal advisers for the king (avocats du roi) and could keep private customers at the 3 Hilaire, Jean 2011 pp. 22-25. 4 Boutaric, Edgard 1861 p. 204; Favier, Jean 1969 p. 92; Lalou, Elisabeth 2005 pp. 102-104. 5 Delachenal, Roland 1885 p. 192. 119
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