A FEW attorneys are making bad for the entire legal profession.
But, said Acting Chief Justice Sherman Moore, the 30 new attorneys who were admitted yesterday can restore the glory to the profession.
The island’s top judge was speaking as the 30, who included lawmen, a tourism marketing specialist and a former director of Court Barbados Ltd., took their oaths in the Court of Appeal yesterday.
In a reference to those attorneys who had been charged and brought before the court for counts of theft relating to clients’ money, Acting Chief Justice Moore said a few members had brought the legal profession into disrepute.
“The profession harnesses all other professions and sets the rules for their conduct and regulation of their affairs. Our profession has regulated all aspects of human endeavour, from space travel to street cleaners. We have established the laws of war and the laws of peace.
“Now because of the actions of a very small number of wrong doers the public, in its numbers, is at our gate. The public demands that we return to the code of honour that made our profession a great leader. Let that be your mission.”
“You are well placed to restore its reputation and its glory. The public looks to us for leadership because we have always been leaders,” the judge said.
Justice of Appeal Moore, however, told the new attorneys there was no quick fix, no “silver bullet” or “no short cut” to success.
“You cannot tack through the cane field in order to avoid the straight and narrow road,” the judge said.
“The road to success is hard work, dedication and devotion to duty. You must attend to your client’s business diligently and at all times endeavour to prefer only the best advice.”
Acting Chief Justice Moore, however, complained about the poor English is some legal documents and cautioned the attorneys to pay attention to their English. (HL-E)
