The Maldives Bar Council, on Sunday, amended regulations to stipulate that lawyers convicted of theft or forgery and fraudulent practices will have their licenses temporarily suspended.
As per the amendment, the suspension would be applicable to a conviction pertaining to any offence described under Section 210 or Section 310 of the Maldives Penal Code.
The suspension will be lifted upon completion of the sentence or if the verdict is overturned by another court. However, if the conviction pertains to a major criminal offence, legal licenses will only be issued after a five-year period.
The regulation on the issuance of licenses requires lawyers not to have any major criminal convictions during the past five years and be repaying debts as per the respective agreements.
Under the recent amendment, lawyers will be suspended from practicing in the aforementioned circumstance in the event that a licensed lawyer fails to meet either of the aforementioned requirements.
Lawyers that face suspension due to failing to fulfill the given criteria will be permitted to practice after providing definitive proof that the requirement was fulfilled.