This is a good time for reform through a Bar Council: ex-Chief Justice Faiz
Monitoring lawyers was to be under Supreme Court even before
Former Chief of Justice Ahmed Faiz Hussain
Former Chief Justice, Ahmed Faiz Hussain has stated that he had previously proposed to regulate lawyers through a Bar Council under a proper regulation, even in the first meeting with Attorney General Mohamed Anil after being assigned to the position.
He said this in response to the AG's announcement on Sunday, that the government has drafted a bill that includes a bar council to regulate the conduct of local lawyers.
"It is the right time to reform things that do not fit proper standards", said Faiz via a Facebook post, while speaking in regard to some of the ongoing political activities.
Noting that he, as Chief of Justice, had requested AG Anil to form a Bar Council four years ago, Faiz said that Anil had replied that a regulation for lawyers have been drafted and will 'soon' be presented in the parliament.
While giving a speech at the lawyers' oath taking ceremony on Sunday night, where 175 newly graduated lawyers were licensed to practice law, AG mentioned the regulation that is being drafted to oversee lawyers once again. He added that they have been working on it for two to three years.
According to Faiz, he requested to form a Bar Council because of the signs that lawyers administrative issues might be handed over to the judiciary, the day he was no longer in the position- and also because there were people concerned over properly regulating lawyers administrative process even back then.
As an example, Faiz mentioned the time he left abroad on an official trip after handing over the functions of the Supreme Court to another justice. According to him, by the time he returned, there had already been discussions, with senior officials of the attorney general's office, to assign the regulating process to the Supreme Court. He added that these discussions continued for the remainder of his term as chief justice.
Furthermore, Faiz said that even when the Justice Ministry was abolished and some of the ministry's tasks were assigned to AG, the courts were not in-charge of lawyers administrative process aside from handling the list of practicing lawyers.
He also noted that the Judicial Administration was never assigned to the role of the former Justice Ministry. However, lawyers are currently being suspended, penalized or issued licenses by the Supreme Court and the Judicial Administration, which functions under the Supreme Court.
Faiz rhetorically questioned whether this is not the right time for such issues to be resolved.
