Reports that lawyers would write exams before renewal of licences false - GLC
“There was no mention of lawyers being required to write examinations at all before a renewal of license and indeed no such amendment to the Law is about to be made"
The General Legal Council (GLC) says some media reports that claimed lawyers would be required to write an examination before the renewal of their licence are false and a misrepresentation of the Chief Justice's speech at Friday's enrolment ceremony of 196 lawyers called to the Bar.
“There was no mention of lawyers being required to write examinations at all before a renewal of license and indeed no such amendment to the Law is about to be made,” the GLC said in a statement.
Clarifying, the statement indicated that the Chief Justice informed the new lawyers of an upcoming Continuing Professional Development (CPD), which would require lawyers to complete a minimum of a 12-hour professional development programme in a year, before the renewal of their licence.
The programme is also enshrined in the Legal Profession Rules, 2020 (L.I 2423), a prerequisite for the issuance of a practising licence under the Legal Profession Bill that would soon be made into law.
“Continuing Professional Development before the renewal of a practising licence, is a standard requirement in some jurisdictions around the world. This practice is aimed at sharpening the skills of lawyers and keeping them abreast with recent developments in the Law for the benefit of the clients they serve," the statement further said.
