In her statement at the occasion at the high court in Banjul, Ms Singhateh said: “My advice to you is to live by your code of conduct. Let it be your compass in life, strive to remain honest in all that you do. Be hard-working, and committed to your work whether in private or public bar.”
The attorney-general said the legal profession had been plagued with incidents of unprofessional and criminal activities of lawyers and that had caused scepticism in members of the public.
She explained: “About two years ago, two lawyers were separately charged, tried and convicted of fraud and making false documents… The disciplinary committee under the General Legal Council also found a number of lawyers guilty of unpreofessional misconduct and even more recently a young lawyer was found guilty for attempting to bribe a judge.” Such acts, Ms Singhateh, posited, will bring their profession into disrepute.
The president of the Gambia Bar Association also called on the newly enrolled lawyers to be problem-solvers and not problem-makers in the legal system.
Ms Farage said lawyers must be “the drivers of change [and] must have integrity”. She said to survive as a lawyer “these days, [they’ll] have to “move the heavens and earth to live the life of [a] lawyer with integrity.”
“Do not fix your hopes on immediate extraordinary monetary returns or rewards; the fulfilment you are bound to get eventually for being good and honest professionals is immeasurable. Money cannot buy that. I would urge each and every one of you to rather make this be your aim and focus than optinbg for cheap popularity. Let your good work shine through, let your clients sing your praises, be humble and be honest and true to your work in this profession.
Both Ms Farage and Ms Singhateh enjoined the new lawyers to continue to learn and keep abreast with latest developments in the law.
Among the new lawyers were Seedy Jobarteh, Malick Jallow, Isatou Janneh, Momodou Njie, Amie Jarra, Marie Therese Gomez and Aji Amie Ceesay.
By Binta Bah
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