Important amendments to the Legal Professions Act have been sent to the Barbados Bar Association by the Law Reform Commission for review.
Attorney General Dale Marshall shared this news today as he addressed the hearing for admission of 53 lawyers to practise law in Barbados, in Court Number 1, Supreme Court Complex, Whitepark Road, St. Michael.
Mr. Marshall urged that the consultative process be completed soon, so officials could move to the next level.
He said over the years, the law profession had been criticised by some members of the public and it was necessary to erase that stain.
“Lawyers have always been maligned. More often than not, unfairly so. But well publicised incidents involving attorneys and their handling of client’s money, generally involving jail terms, have served to even further cement the perception commonly held that lawyers are dishonest.
“Three or four bad apples have tainted the reputation of a profession that currently has over 1,000 practitioners in this island. We have to erase that taint; all of us,” he stressed.
The Attorney General expressed regret that some lawyers had become known for not working on their clients matters with dispatch. He reminded the new lawyers that the interest of the client is paramount.
“You are engaged to provide a service to a client. For that service, you are entitled to a fair fee, nothing more. You serve the client, and you must do so to the best of your ability. And if you cannot handle a matter, be courageous enough to admit that it is beyond your skill set and either ask the client to go elsewhere, or seek advice from an attorney who has those skills. Your client is important; your interests are entirely secondary,” he indicated.
Noting that a varied group of people had been admitted to the bar today, he pointed out that very few had expressed a willingness to practise criminal law. He said over the years, the judges had bemoaned the “very evident” unwillingness to practise criminal law.
“I urge that more of you consider the practice of law on the criminal side. We have invested large amounts of public funds in increasing the number of Criminal Courts from two just six years ago to eight, today. We have also increased the number of prosecutors in the DPP’s Office by more than 100 per cent. We now hope to see an increase in the number of persons practising,” Mr. Marshall said. (PR/GIS)
Caption: Front row, left to right – Solicitor General Anika Jackson; Attorney General Dale Marshall; Chief Justice, Leslie Haynes; and Bar Association President, Kaye Williams, pose with the new lawyers on the steps of the Supreme Court of Barbados.
