THE Legal Profession Act (amendment) 2012 Bill, which will allow foreign legal firms to set up offices here was yesterday passed after three days of debate.
The amendments, among others, required the senior partner of a firm to remain in Malaysia for at least 182 days in a year to ensure the exchange of expertise between foreign and local lawyers.
The bill was to propel Malaysia as an Islamic financial hub.
However, foreign lawyers will not have a free hand in dealing with cases here.
Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Liew Vui Keong said foreign lawyers would not be allowed to be counsels in cases involving national interest and the sovereignty of the nation.
“But we are not blocking them totally. If they feel they have the required expertise for such a case, they can apply to the High Court on an ad-hoc basis. The importance is to find the truth.”
Under the bill, the Bar Council is empowered to grant licences to foreign firms that want to set up their offices here. Before granting licences to foreign firms, he said the council must get the approval of the Attorney-General’s Chambers.
The provision earned the ire of several members of parliament, including Khairy Jamaluddin (BN-Rembau), Datuk Tajuddin Abdul Rahman (BN-Pasir Salak) and Datuk Shamsul Anuar Nasarah (BN-Lenggong) who questioned the credibility of the council, saying it was only interested in politics and had neglected the interest of its members.
2013 Bar Council subscription Click the link above to download Circular 090/2013 pertaining to the 2013 Bar Council subscription, including the payment guide and a set of Frequently-Asked-Questions.
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International Arbitration Conference by CIArb Malaysia (22 to 24 Aug 2013) Organised by the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, this conference will be held at Eastern & Oriental Hotel, 10 Lebuh Farquhar, 10200 George Town, Penang, from 22 to 24 Aug 2013 (Thursday to Saturday). The conference carries 10 CPD points. Early-bird rate ends on 30 Apr 2013. Click on the link above for more details.
Seminar on Islamic Finance Regulatory Framework (23 May 2013) Organised by the Bar Council Professional Standards and Development Committee, this seminar conducted by Megat Hizaini Hassan will be held at 2:00 pm to 5:30 pm, at Raja Aziz Addruse Auditorium, Bar Council, on 23 May 2013 (Thursday). The seminar carries three CPD points. Click on the link above for more details.
8th LAWASIA Employment Law Conference, Cambodia (24 and 25 May 2013) Organised by The Law Association for Asia and the Pacific (“LAWASIA”), this conference featuring Lia Alizia and Brian Williamson, will be held at Tara Angkor Hotel, Vithei Charles de Gaulle, Siem Reap, Cambodia, at 8:45 am to 7:00 pm and 9:00 am to 5:30 pm, on 24 and 25 May 2013 (Friday and Saturday), respectively. The conference carries 10 CPD points. Click on the link above for more details.
MSLSSL and MCLJ Conference on Employment and Labour Laws 2013 (30 May 2013) Organised by the Malaysian Society for Labour and Social Security Law and Malaysian Current Law Journal, this conference entitled “Current Issues on Employment and Labour Laws” will be held at 8:30 am to 6:00 pm, at Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur, on 30 May 2013 (Thursday). The conference carries six CPD points. Click on the link above for more details.
“Transforming Criminal Justice” One-week Study Programme (25 to 29 Nov 2013) Organised by Public Administration International (“PAI”), this UK-based one-week study programme entitled “Transforming Criminal Justice: from Joined-up Justice to Multi-agency Approaches” will be held in London from 25 to 29 Nov 2013 (Monday to Friday). For further enquiries, please contact PAI by telephone at +44 (0)20 7580 3590, by fax at +44 (0)20 7580 4746, or by email at pai@public-admin.co.uk.
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