Bag in United Kingdom

Meaning of Bag

The following is an old definition of Bag [1]: The sack, satchel, reticule or other like receptacle in which lawyers carry briefs and papers for use during the preparation, trial, hearing, or argument of cases, was formerly called, from the prevailing color of the material, the “green bag.” In the theatrical performances of Queen Caroline’s time the lawyer is represented with a green bag in his hand; and such is the reference in the literature of Queen Anne’s time; and, until a recent date, green bags were commonly carried by the majority of legal practitioners. The king’s counselors, queen’s counselors, the chancery lawyers, and the leaders of the common bar, were honored with the privilege of carrying red, purple, or blue bags. Indeed, the green bag was so uniformly associated with the profession in the reign of Anne that ” to say that a man intended to carry a green bag was the same as saying that he meant to adopt the law as a profession.” In the time of Charles II angry clients were accustomed to revile lawyers as ” green-bag carriers.” As to petty bag oflce, see Hanaper; Petit.

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Notes and References

1. Concept of Bag provided by the Anderson Dictionary of Law (1889) (Dictionary of Law consisting of Judicial Definitions and Explanations of Words, Phrases and Maxims and an Exposition of the Principles of Law: Comprising a Dictionary and Compendium of American and English Jurisprudence; William C. Anderson; T. H. Flood and Company, Law Publishers, Chicago, United States)