THE ETHICS AND MORALITY OF LEGAL PROFESSION

Abstract

Ethics are standards and ideals that standardise a career, such as the legal profession, along with codes of conduct and regulations. In the everyday application of the law, they serve as an important guide for verifying correct and appropriate behaviour. If lawyers do not obey the standards of truth, fairness and equality and promote them, the law itself is disregarded and public trust in the law is weakened, thus hindering access to justice. It is also necessary to ensure that rules of ethics, once established, are publicised between the legal profession and the public, in order to achieve transparency. The legal profession should have put in place appropriate disciplinary mechanisms to ensure that ethics are enforceable. The Advocate Act 1961 was passed and created bar councils in India to preserve the dignity of the legal profession. Section 49(1)(c) of the Advocates Act infringes the obligations of Advocates codified in respect of professional and other wrongdoing. Therefore, in voicing his thoughts, a lawyer should be transparent and recognise that it is not enough for him alone to know that his client is correct, but to show it to the judge and those involved with the case.