Katureebe blasts impatient young lawyers

By Billy Rwothungeyo                                          

Newly appointed Chief Justice, Bart Katureebe has slammed young lawyers who pursue “get rich quick” schemes at the expense of gradually growing into their profession.

Speaking at an integrity forum between the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) and legal practitioners on Friday at the Sheraton Kampala Hotel, Katureebe said such practices have negatively impacted legal ethics.

“There is a tendency to put money, quick money and wealth ahead of professional ethics. As long as you ‘fix your deal’, it (professional ethics) does not matter,” he said.

“There is a lot of peer pressure. A young lawyer must appear smart, drive a smart car, own a few houses, and it does not matter whether you get these from practicing law or ‘fixing deals.’ There is a difference between ‘fixing deals’ and practicing law.”

Katureebe said junior lawyers do not seek enough mentorship nowadays like the case was decades ago.

“In the old days, you could not go to the high court, unless you have worked in chambers for at least nine months with some senior lawyer. Today, we have people coming out of the Law Development Center, and within two months, they have their own chambers,” he said.

“Today, we have very junior people settling huge cases without input from their seniors, and this is causing lots of problems.”

The Chief Justice cautioned such lawyers that the judiciary is going to get tough on the errant lawyers.

“I have seen lawyers appearing in court totally unprepared. Many clients have appeared in court without their lawyers despite paying for legal services.”

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