Retorica e deontologia forense: il dibattito sulle strategie di difesa in età medievale e moderna

During the Middle Ages and early modern period, the debate over defensive strategies led jurists and theologians to establish a model of professional standards at the intersection of forensic rhetoric and legal ethics, the aim of which was to allow a lawyer to defend his client to the fullest while at the same time ensuring that he contributed to the administration of justice. The role assigned to the lawyer in trial served to limit the scope of his legal argumentation, striking a balance between protecting his own client’s interests on the one hand, and cooperating with the judge in the ascertainment of the truth on the other.