ACTING Chief Justice Salesi Temo says he has been receiving complaints against some young lawyers who are unable to handle legal work well.
As a consequence of this, the Justice Department plans to run workshops for young lawyers from next year, he said during the swearing-in ceremony for new lawyers at the Grand Pacific Hotel in Suva yesterday.
“I’ve seen some complaints coming through my desk,” Justice Temo said.
“A lot of young lawyers are not handling the legal side of practice very well. There are a lot of faults.
“And we are intending from next year to run 10 monthly workshops to upskill you on the practical aspects of legal practice,” he said while addressing the new lawyers.
He reminded them to read Legal Practitioners Act and the rules of conduct.
“Those who want to practice in the courts, please read the rules of conduct, professional conduct.
“The judges, the magistrates, they expect you to know it. Know your obligation to your clients, to your opponents, and to the public.
“When you come to the court room, we expect you to work hard to know your pieces, to know the facts from start to the end, to know the law, to know the law of evidence.
“If you want to practice in the criminal sphere, you’ve got to know the Criminal Procedure Act.
“If you’re going to practice in the civil arena, I expect you to know the civil rules in the High Court and in the Magistrate’s Court.
He cautioned the lawyers to serve their clients well.
“When you serve your clients and you don’t serve them well, last resort, they go through the court system.
“They complain. At the end of the day, when they get nowhere, they complain to my office.
“And I look at it, and that’s where I chase people up. And that’s when I understand what the faults of the new lawyers are.
Justice Temo said the journey of learning did not stop after graduation.
“Just because you’ve been admitted as a barrister and solicitor today, does not mean your journey of learning stops.
“Practicing law is a lifetime process. Law is always changing.”
