Chief Justice Alexander G. Gesmundo urged the country’s lawyers to erase the public’s perception “that in practice, lawyers -- either by hook or by crook -- use unsavory tactics to further their clients’ or even their own interest.”
Gesmundo also said that it is a general belief that “some lawyers even lie, cheat, or steal to gain the upper hand. It is no wonder that lawyers have often been perceived as liars, having no scruples at all, and only after his or her professional fees.”
During the second leg of the Ethics Caravan held at the University of Mindanao in Davao City last Oct. 24, the Chief Justice rallied the members of the legal community “to give dignity and nobility to the profession so as to regain the trust of the people in lawyers and in the entire justice system.”
The Ethics Caravan is spearheaded by the Supreme Court (SC) on information and consultation drive for the proposed Code of Professional Responsibility and Accountability (CPRA).
The CPRA is the proposed set of rules on the ethical conduct and accountability of lawyers in the practice of law. It would amend the 34 -year-old Code of Professional Responsibility (CPR) of lawyers.
Gesmundo emphasized the importance of the inclusive and consultative dialogues with all concerned stakeholders in revising the Code.
“This a clarion call for all of us to take the responsibility of giving dignity and nobility to our profession, and by so doing, put back the trust of our people not only in lawyers, but in the justice system as a whole,” he said.
He pointed out that lawyers, as officers of the court, “play a key role in the administration of justice and upholding the rule of law.”
But he said the legal profession “is no stranger to allegations of scandal and controversy.”
He said the proposed CPRA seeks to improve and modernize the practice of law. It tackles the use of social media, formation and definition of the lawyer-client relationship, conduct of non-legal staff and other intricacies experienced by practitioners today, he said.
“The CPRA also consolidates separate regulations pertaining to the discipline of lawyers,” he stressed.
“It also abbreviates administrative proceedings and imposes a standardized table of penalties for varying degrees of offenses. The CPRA not only addresses the punitive aspect of the unethical legal practice but also captures the ideal characteristics that all members of the bar must live up to -- independence, propriety, fidelity, competence and diligence, equality, and accountability,” he added.
He then gave an overview of the SC’s five-year Strategic Plan for Judicial Innovations (SPJI) which is anchored on four guiding principles -- timely and fair justice, transparent and accountable justice, equal and inclusive justice, and technologically adaptive management -- to achieve three outcomes -- efficiency innovation, and access.
The first caravan was held in Cebu City last September. After the Davao City caravan, the same information and consultation drive will be held in Naga City, Baguio City, and in the National Capital Region.
In his recorded message to the caravan participants, SC Senior Associate Justice Marvic M.V.F. Leonen highlighted the proposed changes in the Lawyers’ Oath, including adding the word “justice” for the first time, and underscoring the value of the oath as “the basic foundation of what a lawyer means.”
Associate Justice Amy C. Lazaro-Javier, also in a video recorded message, expressed her gratitude to all participants.
She said: “It was the choice and wish of the Chief Justice to hold every Ethics Caravan in the university where the teaching of ethics all begins and where the values we learned from home are fortified. We also recognize the role of the youth in nation building as future shapers of the world. The great lawyers of today were once law students.”
The proposed CPRA was presented by Associate Justice Maria Filomena D. Singh. She said the CPRA is the SC’s attempt in crafting more relevant and responsive guide for lawyers’ conduct.
Associate Samuel H. Gaerlan’s closing remarks was read by Court of Appeals Associate Justice Geraldine C. Fiel-Macaraig.
SC Associate Justices Jhosep Y. Lopez, Japar B. Dimaampao, and Jose Midas P. Marquez, and Court Administrator Raul B. Villanueva also attended the Davao City caravan.
The Caravan will culminate in the National Summit on Ethical Standards for Lawyers which will be held in February 2023, the SC’s public information office (PIO) said.
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