NQ solicitors urged to serve most vulnerable
Mr Justice John Edwards of the Court of Appeal has urged newly qualified solicitors to consider how they might use their skills in the service of the profession and the most vulnerable in society.
He was speaking at a parchment ceremony at Blackhall Place (30 April), where more than 60 graduates formally entered the profession.
Mr Justice Edwards told the graduates that they should keep in mind “the broader societal role” of the legal profession.
Access to justice
“Access to justice is a fundamental principle on which the legitimacy of our legal system depends,” he stated.
He said that solicitors could contribute to this principle through parole work, involvement in legal aid, public education, or as a lawyer in the public service.
The Court of Appeal judge also told the newly qualified solicitors to reflect on and appreciate the relatively privileged conditions in Irish lawyers and judges work.
“We are incredibly fortunate that Ireland is a country that respects the rule of law,” Mr Justice Edwards stated, pointing to threats to the rule of law that had spread across the EU in the past decade in countries like Poland and Hungary.
He added that US President Donald Trump was “waging war” against the rule of law, while there had also been “depressing” rhetoric from some British MPs that threatened to undermine judicial independence.
‘Challenging but rewarding’ career
Earlier, President of the Law Society Rosemarie Loftus described the solicitors’ profession as a “challenging but rewarding career”.
She said that, while the profession was thriving, this was not the case in all parts of the country, adding that the Law Society played a crucial role in ensuring that a high level of legal practice was supported in all areas.
Pointing to threats to the rule of law globally, the president also reminded the new solicitors of the “fundamental role” they had to play in protecting the rule of law.