Not P but Moby-Dick (73)

[Mike Jing]

>From Chapter 89:

Mr. Erskine was counsel for the defendants; Lord Ellenborough was the
judge. In the course of the defence, the witty Erskine went on to
illustrate his position, by alluding to a recent crim. con. case, wherein a
gentleman, after in vain trying to bridle his wife’s viciousness, had at
last abandoned her upon the seas of life; but in the course of years,
repenting of that step, he instituted an action to recover possession of
her. Erskine was on the other side; and he then supported it by saying,
that though the gentleman had originally harpooned the lady, and had once
had her fast, and only by reason of the great stress of her plunging
viciousness, had at last abandoned her; yet abandon her he did, so that she
became a loose-fish; and therefore when a subsequent gentleman re-harpooned
her, the lady then became that subsequent gentleman’s property, along with
whatever harpoon might have been found sticking in her.

In saying "Erskine was on the other side", does it mean Erskine was
actually the defending lawyer in that other case, or only that he supported
the position of the other side?