This year’s first oath-taking ceremony for legal practitioners was held Thursday night, with 175 individuals being sworn in as lawyers.
Supreme Court Justice Adam Mohamed Abdullah swore in the lawyers and their credentials were awarded by Attorney General Mohamed Anil at a ceremony held in Dharubaaruge, Male.
Addressing the crowd after the inauguration, Supreme Court Judge Abdullah Areef said that lawyers play a pivotal role in maintaining law and order and emphasised the importance of upholding the Constitution in their field.
The judge also noted the relevance of maintaining disciplinary values when practicing law and advised the new lawyers to stay away from actions that may sully the reputation of legal practitioners in Maldives.
Judge Areef had also highlighted on fair measures of practice, stating that lawyers should be mindful of their clients and be understanding of their means, especially when declaring fees. Lawyers should be able to empathise with their clients, and also offer their services to those who are not in a position to afford it, he added.
In his speech, the judge said that a lawyer’s work is “beyond the four years of a degree course”, and that they still have to continue on to gain practical experience in the field, even after they are sworn in.
In this light, the Supreme Court is currently working on establishing a Judicial Academy to offer lawyers professional training programmes, Judge Areef had revealed.
“We hope that all of you will reap the benefits of the programmes Maldives’ Judicial Academy has to offer,” the judge said before ending his speech.
While 175 lawyers were sworn in Thursday, applications for individuals seeking to be sworn in as legal practitioners in Maldives will remain open until April 25.
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