Speaking to 62 new lawyers who received their warrant on Tuesday and took the oath to abide by their duties in court yesterday, the chief judge explained the importance of their new role and the contribution they can make for the administration of justice to improve.

Chief Justice Degaetano urged the newly-appointed lawyers to explore mediation and arbitration before filing a case in court. The Maltese courts are inundated with work and cases must not be filed unless alternatives have been looked into, he said. Lawyers must keep in mind that the court has a limited amount of time to dedicate to each case, he continued.

The new lawyers must cherish the judiciary’s independence from the authorities, said Chief Justice Degaetano. Lawyers must examine the laws in great detail so as not to let the authorities impinge on this independence.

He also stressed the responsibility held in these new lawyers’ hands. “Your client will be entrusting you with his life and all he has”, he said, “and therefore this is not a profession to be taken lightly”. Chief Justice Degaetano showed faith that these university graduates would follow the code of ethics with a sense of moral correctness.

The Chief Justice urged the fresh lawyers to take example from more experienced people in the field. “They are the ones you must look to, to observe how they behave in difficult situations,” he continued.

One by one, the 62 new lawyers took the oath that bound them to the duties the profession brings with it, as their relatives watched from the court room gallery.