Ethics of Legal Profession in India – Bird’s EYE View

A noble profession as it has been called for years, Ethics of Law

Law has maintained its standards by adhering to the code of ethics set by the legal field. These ethics are also known as ethics of legal profession or legal ethics. The people bound to follow these ethics are primarily the lawyers or advocates who are considered to be court officers playing a significant role in the court of law.

There are some rules or codes that the lawyers follow towards the court, the opponent, their client and fellow lawyers. Here is a run down some of them

LAWYERS TO COURT

  • Respecting the court
  • Follow appropriate dress code
  • Don’t take up cases of clients who insist on use of unfair means
  • Have a dignified behavior

LAWYERS TO LAWYERS

  • Do not promote unauthorized practice
  • Avoid advertisement and solicitation of work
  • Appear after consent of fellow advocate

LAWYERS TO CLIENT

  • Don’t take cases where the lawyer has to be a witness
  • Never withdraw service halfway
  • Don’t refuse a brief
  • Give client top priority
  • Don’t try to tamper with the evidence or suppress it
  • Act according to the client’s instructions
  • Fees adjustment as per liability is a strict no
  • Bidding for purchasing property arising of legal proceeding is a strict no
  • Don’t take undue advantage of the clients trust
  • Variation in charges depending upon the success of the case is a strict no
  • Proper accounting of everything is important
  • Absolute clarity about things with the client is necessary

LAWYERS TO OPPONENT

  • Fulfill the promises made
  • No negotiations with party directly

The bar association has also stated that the license of the lawyers who do not abide by the code of ethics would be confiscated besides facing trial and imprisonment, if found guilty.

In a nutshell, these laws are getting stricter as the ultimate objective remains maintaining the ethical standards of the noble profession.

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