Maldives argues over law licences
The Maldives is facing a tussle between the Attorney General and the bar association as the former refuses to issue law licences.
The Bar Association is growing impatient with the Attorney General Office, which suspended law license issuance. Chumash Maxim
In December, the Attorney General's office announced it would no longer issue law licences until amendments are made to legal profession regulations. Now the Bar Association is claiming that law graduates are facing financial and professional losses as a direct result of the licence suspension. It acknowledges that the regulations need to be reformed, but recommended that the Attorney General resumes issuing licences immediately, as a bill is already pending.
A code of ethics
The Bar said it would like to see “the submission of the legal profession bill to the People’s Majlis and its passage into law as soon as possible.” Both parties agree that the General Regulations Act, which contains over 80 regulations with no statutory basis, is inadequate. Gabriela Knaul, a UN Special Rapporteur for the Independence of Judges and Lawyers, said: “The Bar Association should…develop a code of ethics applicable to all lawyers, which it should vigorously and coherently implement and enforce.” Source: Minivan News
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