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CJ: Lawyers are officers of the court, must uphold conduct
View(s):By Ranjith Padmasiri
Lawyers must bear in mind that they are officers of the court and that the court would rely and act on what they submit before it, which means they must strive to maintain the high standards expected of them throughout their careers, Chief Justice Preethi Padman Surasena stated.
He made the remarks while addressing Friday’s ceremony for the admission of new attorneys-at-law.
Chief Justice Preethi Padman Surasena
“By virtue of your office, you have now become an officer of the court, and the court would rely and act on what you submit before it. That is the primary reason as to why the Judicature Act stipulates that only people with good repute and competence be enrolled as attorneys-at-law. You need to constantly remember that the enrolment of each one of you has been on that basis and not on the sole basis of your mere passing the examinations. Therefore, there is a statutory obligation on each one of you to continue to maintain that standard throughout your career as an attorney-at-law,” the Chief Justice said.
He added that the lawyer’s conduct will obviously form part of the conduct of the general membership of the profession. “The conduct of the general membership of the profession would be decisive on the issue of whether the others would continue to recognise ours as a noble profession. Therefore, the future of this noble profession will depend on how you conduct yourself in the profession. Thus, your rectitude on both professional and non-professional matters is of paramount importance. In as much as you are now proud to have become a member of this profession, you need to be mindful that becoming a lawyer carries with it a set of onerous obligations as well.”
The CJ further called upon the newly appointed lawyers to be mindful of their obligations to their clients, as well as to the fellow members of their profession and to the court. “Do not forget the fact that the profession you have just joined is a profession in which the juniors recognise and respect the seniors in the profession, and you are also expected to follow this tradition.
“You also need to be mindful of your relations with those outside the profession, as you have an obligation to maintain the dignity of the profession. In short, wherever you go, you will be observed by the public as you now stand as an officer of the court. This is also because as a lawyer you would be performing in public and not in secluded locations. Thus, how you conduct yourself in any place would be very important,” he stressed.
(The full speech is carried on www.sundaytimes.lk.)
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