Thumbs up for Sabah Law Society
Published on: Tuesday, July 05, 2016
Kota Kinabalu: Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman said the proposed creation of the Sabah Law Society will further reinforce the notion of Sabah having autonomy over legal practice as stated in the Federal Constitution. "The proposed creation of The Sabah Law Society will not only ensure that the legal fraternity in Sabah is regulated by its own professional body but will further reinforce the notion that Sabah should have autonomy over the practice of lawyers in the State as stated in the Federal Constitution," he said. Musa said this after receiving a courtesy call from members of the Sabah Law Association (SLA) led by its President Brendan Soh over the proposed amendment to the Sabah Advocates Ordinance, where the amendment to the Bill will entail the formation of the Sabah Law Society.
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Musa also welcomed the State Cabinet decision to endorse the Proposed Amendment to the Sabah Advocates Ordinance, where SLA noted having the support of Special Tasks Minister Datuk Teo Chee Kang and the State Attorney General Datuk Mariati Robert. The new law is scheduled for the second reading in the State Assembly. Musa earlier advised young lawyers to always have close ties with their seniors, adding that seasoned lawyers including the retired ones, are a good source for knowledge. He also commended SLA for fulfilling its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) by carrying out programmes and activities to create public awareness on legal rights and provision of free legal assistance.
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On his part, Soh thanked Musa and the State Cabinet for recognising the proposed amendment for the Advocates (Sabah) (Admendment) Act 2016 for the purpose of amending the Sabah Advocates Ordinance (Sabah Cap. 2). According to Soh, the amendments will help change the landscape for legal practitioners in the State as it will entail the formation of the Society, where membership of all legal practitioners in Sabah will be mandatory.
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Among the other pertinent changes would also be the creation of a Disciplinary Board, Disciplinary Fund, Compensation Fund (to compensate members of the public in appropriate cases), powers to operate a deceased Advocate's clients' account and the ability of the Sabah Law Society to make rules regarding a minimum amount of insurance for every lawyer in the State, he said. He said the proposed amendments are as a result of the SLA having been in close cooperation with the Federal Attorney General Chambers over a number of years in order to ensure that the proposed amendments to the Advocates Ordinance would benefit the legal fraternity and correspondingly for the benefit of the members of the public. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
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