Forespeaker

When professional lawyers attending the royal courts first become visible to historians in the thirteenth century, it is clear that they were already divided into two groups with distinct functions: the pleaders or 'forespeakers' who spoke for litigants (subject to disavowal) in court; and the attorneys, who acted as ministers or agents with power to bind their clients in the formal process of litigation.

On 8 and 10 May his forespeaker had been protesting against the relevancy of the error summons. However, at the next hearing on 11 May Lord Lovat's forespeaker suddenly declared to the Lords that “quhat thai pleis to deliver thirin owther be way of composition or uther wayis he suld stand contentit thirwith”.