Preparation and professionalism were critical for lawyers appearing before the courts, newly admitted legal practitioners were told yesterday.
Chief Justice Salesi Temo said lawyers must thoroughly understand both the law and the facts of their cases before stepping into the courtroom.
“One thing that you have to do, if you want to practice as a courtroom lawyer is hard work. That means you’ve got to know the facts of your case. You’ve got to know the law. We on the bench, we have very, very long memories,” Justice Temo said.
“When a counsel appears for us, we assess them on how good they are in assisting us make a decision.”
He said preparation was the most effective way to persuade the court.
“What is the best way of persuading a man or a woman on the bench? It’s preparation.”
Justice Temo also told the young lawyers that humility and professionalism were important qualities in court.
“My view, the most dangerous lawyers are not the ones who shout, are not the ones who are cheeky, are not the ones who are arrogant. My view, the most dangerous lawyers are the polite ones.”
He warned lawyers not to appear before the court without proper preparation.
“Do not come to court if you are not fully prepared, because we’ll know, we’ll know whether you’re prepared or not.”
Justice Temo said judges sometimes asked difficult questions in court to test lawyers.
“Sometimes we throw tricky questions to you, just to check out whether you’ve studied your case.”
He encouraged the new lawyers to work hard and maintain high standards as they began their careers.
