The President of the Maldives Bar Council Hussain Siraj has said the new amendments to the Legal Profession Act will enable the legal profession to conduct its activities independently. He made the remarks during an interview with PSM News.
The amendment to the Act excluding the Attorney General from the Bar Council was approved by the President on September 3. With this, the Executive Committee of the Bar Council will solely consist of members elected from among the members of the Council.
Siraj stated that the aim of the Legal Profession Act is to make the legal profession an independent profession. He added that having an independent body without an Attorney General is in the international best practice. He also noted that the Executive Committees of the Bar Councils in other countries do not include an Attorney General, as well.
Siraj went onto say that the Attorney General’s position on the committee has the potential to appear to have the influence of a government minister in deciding the standard of conduct, quality of lawyers and licensing of lawyers, which are part of the legal profession. He noted that lawyers working in the Attorney General's Office are also included in the committee and added that the Attorney General's presence on the committee makes it difficult for the members to express their views.
Siraj further disclosed that discussions were held with the members of the Bar Council and relevant government agencies after the first drafting of the amendment. He said that the Bar Council will continue to cooperate with the Attorney General even though he is now excluded from the Bar Council and that the amendment was approved by the members of the council as well.
The amendment to the Legal Profession Act stipulates that members must be elected to the committee within 60 days of the Attorney General's resignation. Siraj said the process of electing a new member to fill the vacancy is currently underway.