Chief Justice advises lawyers to live up to their profession
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| Published on Thursday, September 18, 2008 |
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By Oscar Ramjeet
Caribbean Net News Special Correspondent
Email: oscar@caribbeannetnews.com
CASTRIES, St Lucia: Chief Justice of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (ECSC), Hugh Rawlins has said that he has received numerous complaints from the public about the unethical practices of some members of the legal profession.
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| ECSC Chief Justice Hugh Anthony Rawlins |
“It is not my intention to rush to judgment as these are matters which the system must deal with by due process,” he said. “However, it would be remiss of me [not to remind] all of us in this honourable profession of the need to be guided by honesty, integrity and fairness in all our undertakings."
Rawlins added that knowledge of the law put a powerful tool at a lawyer’s disposal, but cautioned the professionals to use that knowledge wisely.
"I am constantly reminded of the words of my forebears that while it is a good thing to have a lion's strength, it is tyrannous to use it as such,” he said.
He said that the Bar Associations in the Member States and Territories needed to recognise the critical role they played in ensuring that the standards of the legal profession were upheld.
“The Bar Associations are therefore urged to embark on continuing legal education in this area and to institute systems for ensuring that ethical standards are adhered to,” Rawlins said.
Speaking at the opening of the 2008/2009 law year, Rawlins said that the Judicial Education Institute (JEI) of the ECSC continued to make a significant contribution to the delivery of court programmes.
“The Institute provides continuing education for the various branches of the Court,” the Chief Justice said. "As we seek to establish and maintain ever higher standards of performance for Judges, Masters, Magistrates, Registrars and administrative and professional staff, it is axiomatic that judicial education must continue to be given a particular priority and prominence in our endeavours."
The Chief Justice indicated that over the past year the JEI presented a range of programmes which included orientation programmes for bailiffs, Court Administrators and newly appointed Judicial Clerks.
He added that the Institute also provided customer service training for judicial support staff of the Magistrates' Courts in a number of Member States as well as Resource Based Management training for Judges, Magistrates and officers of the Court's Headquarters in Saint Lucia.
He added that similar training opportunities were to be extended to court personnel in other member states during the new law year. | | | | Reads : 1120 | | | |
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