Minister tells new lawyers their profession is ‘not an eight-to-five suit’

Sixty-eight newly warranted lawyers and two legal procurators were urged by Justice Minister Owen Bonnici to respect their profession both at work and during their private time.

Addressing a ceremony during which 68 lawyers and two legal procurators received their warrants, Bonnici said the legal profession was crucial in a democracy, and should be a reflection of what is ethical and serious.

“Being a lawyer is not a suit you wear from 8am till 5pm but must be lived every hours of the day for the coming years, both at work and in private time," Bonnici said.

Bonnici said the government had worked a lot in the past two years to implement new measures to help citizens benefit from a better and improved service in the administration of justice.

The holistic reform is spread over three years and included the upgrading of criminal laws, the introduction of an IT system, an SMS alert and email notifications and the setting up of a Legal Case Management system.