| Lyna Mohamad |
APART from court officers’ assistance in solving a court case, a Syar’ie lawyer shoulders a big responsibility in observing the honour and reputation of the Syariah Court, as well as to Allah the Almighty.
A Syar’ie lawyer must be cautious in making an action that could be seen as abuse of court process or legal requirements or any misconduct that could tarnish their good name.
Responsibility towards the client must be carried out with order, wisdom and commitment as well as sincerity in providing legal services, and abiding by the client’s rights according to the law.
Chief Syar’ie Judge Pehin Orang Kaya Paduka Seri Utama Dato Paduka Seri Setia Ustaz Haji Awang Salim bin Haji Besar made these statements as the guest of honour at the certificate presentation ceremony for Syar’ie lawyers yesterday.
A Syar’ie lawyer, he added, must possess a deep awareness and understanding of their responsibilities as someone who has been appointed by the client.
Their responsibilities are not merely part of a profession, and they should not only contribute their paid services to the clients, but also voluntarily.
On this note, he called on the Syar’ie lawyers to continue providing services to the public by conducting clinics to provided legal advice.
Since the enrolment of Syar’ie lawyers at Syariah Court in 2003, 108 Syar’ie lawyers have been registered as a Syar’ie lawyer at the Syariah Court and from this number, only 23 applied for practice at the Syariah Court this year.
The number of practitioners is still small compared to the number of cases heard at the Syariah courts in 2017.
However, there has been a development in the number of legal firms that were opened with Syar’ie lawyers practising in these firms, which is a positive sign to give more options for the public to choose.
The ceremony yesterday took place at the multipurpose hall of the Syariah courts in the capital and saw 30 Syar’ie lawyers receiving their certificate from the guest of honour.
Yesterday’s ceremony began with the recitation of Surah Al-Fatihah and Doa read by Assistant Registrar of Syariah Subordinate Court, Muhd Azmi @ Muhd Asrin bin Haji Mohd Jair.
This was followed by a welcoming note by Chief Registrar of Syariah Court of Appeal, Haji Hassan bin Haji Metali and a speech by the guest of honour.
The ceremony also saw the announcement on the use of official Syar’ie lawyers robe in court hearings and other related events.