Misconduct of lawyers worries fraternity

PIC: First lady Janet Museveni, chats with Bishop Joshua Lwere (right) at the Christian Lawyer's conference at Sheraton Hotel Kampala on 22 June 2018. Photo by Miriam Namutebi.

Christian lawyers held a conference on Friday at Sheraton Hotel. It was during the conference that Francis Gimara, former Uganda Law Society President bashed lawyers for being unethical when dealing with people who seek their counsel.

Speaking at the inaugural national Christian lawyers' conference at Sheraton Hotel, Gimara said that lawyers are becoming increasingly unethical in their practice and have deviated from their true calling for the love of money.

Alfonse Owiny-Dollo, Deputy Chief Justice of Uganda (left) chats with  Stella Amoko of the Supreme Court (centre) and  Catherine Bamugemereire of the Court of Appeal during the Christian Lawyers Conference at Sheraton Hotel in Kampala on 22 June 2018. Photo by Miriam Namutebi. 

"The state of the legal profession is worrying. We now have too many lawyers with a wrong mindset. Most lawyers go to law school with a thinking that they are going to get rich quickly. They are the ones soiling the profession," he said.

He noted that because of such a mindset, the Law Council is now experiencing an increase in the number of cases of misconduct reported against lawyers by their clients. He said so far the Council has received about 2,000 cases.

 Janet Museveni greting one of the guests

"The majority of these legal practitioners are Christians, we wouldn't be worried if it was another religion, but why are we in these things, when did the rain start beating us?" Gimara wondered.

He asked the lawyers to rethink their actions and remember that there calling is a higher one.

Gimara speaking during the conference

He asked them to change their ways and focus on building a just and fair society where the indigent and the destitute can find relief.

"Justice and righteousness is the foundation of God's throne and our calling is a higher calling," he said.

 
The conference was organised by the Uganda Christian Lawyers Fellowship in partnership with the US based Pepperdine University.

It was held under the theme ‘biblical worldview in promoting efficient and effective administration of justice'. It was attended by Christian lawyers, magistrates and judges.

 
Danny DeWalt, Uganda's consul to the US asked lawyers to break free from self-justification by bending the laws to suit their selfish desires and be compassionate to the poor that seek their services.

He noted that often times, lawyers have trampled on the rights of the poor by bending the laws to suit their selfish desires. He said they like to argue and tend to cite the laws to justify their wrongs.

He urged them to seek for the Holy Spirit to guide them always during the course of their legal practice.

Supreme Court judge, Stella Arach-Amoko, cautioned the judicial officers against taking bribes and urged them to always practice what they preach.