Parliamentarians have expressed that the proposed amendments to the Legal Profession Act would ensure the independence of the Bar Council.
Parliamentarian Hussain Shareef proposed the amendment to the Legal Profession Act to restructure the Bar Council of the Maldives. The Bar Council is made up of seven members, including the Attorney General (AG), as per the Legal Profession Act. However, the amendment proposed to include only lawyers in the Bar Council without the AG. The amendment states that the Bar Council will consist of a president, vice-president, and members elected from among the lawyers.
Parliamentarian Shareef noted that the amendment will provide the Bar Council with complete independence, with no influence from the government. He noted that with the amendment, affairs of the lawyers will be arranged and handled by representatives elected by the lawyers, with no outside influence.
However, some parliamentarians noted that it makes no difference whether the AG sits on the Bar Council's Executive Board or not. As such, Parliamentarian Qasim Ibrahim stated that it is important for the AG to sit on the committee to provide the President with the latest information on legal matters.
The amendment also includes the necessary amendment to the law to allow official agencies and registered educational institutions to affix their stamps of origin and conformity to documents issue. Currently, only lawyers authorised by the Bar Council can attest or stamp conformity with the original.
The Legal Profession Act was enacted in 2019 with the aim of creating a separate, independent body called the Bar Council to protect the rights and privileges of lawyers working in the Maldives. It also aims to regulate all matters relating to the practice of law.