PUTRAJAYA: The proposed amendments to the Legal Profession Act 1976 (Act 166), if approved by the Cabinet, will be tabled in Parliament this October and is expected to benefit 23,000 legal practitioners in the country.
The Legal Affairs Division of the Prime Minister’s Department said a Cabinet memorandum for consideration and approval will also be brought later for the proposed amendments to Act 166.
For that purpose, a meeting between Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said and the Bar Council was held on Monday to discuss the necessary improvements to Act 166 and measures to strengthen legal services in meeting future challenges.
“The meeting discussed several matters in Act 166 that require improvements, namely limited liability legal partnerships, legal aid centre, Section 77 regarding Bar Council’s powers with the approval of the Attorney General and Sections 11, 15, and 36 related to pupillage,” it said in a statement yesterday, Bernama reported.According to the Legal Affairs Division, the Bar Council had also proposed the setting up of an Inter-Asean Lawyers Association.
It said further discussions were also held regarding the formulation of new legislation related to legal aid that will take into account the public defence aspect of criminal cases, which is currently being handled by the National Legal Aid Foundation.
It said the government is of the view that the Bar Council should be given ample space to determine its own direction in managing the affairs of the legal profession, including administrative matters and the welfare of its members.
The discussion was also attended by Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform) M. Kulasegaran and Bar Council president Mohamad Ezri Abdul Wahab.
