Young lawyers urge Bar Council to address 'injustice' within profession

 

Young lawyers seeking implementation of minimum remuneration for pupils have taken their demands to the Bar Council's extraordinary general meeting (EGM) held at the Wisma MCA in Kuala Lumpur today.

Members of the Young Lawyers Movement gathered on the sidelines of the EGM in response to a reported statement by Bar Council president Karen Cheah that setting a minimum pay for pupils in chambers may be counterproductive for smaller firms.

YLM spokesperson Vince Thian said the refusal of legal firms to pay their pupils at least minimum wage, citing cost issues, is a sign of failure of its business and the legal profession.

"We (lawyers) often champion human rights.

"We often fight for workers' rights in line with international laws, but in Malaysia, we still see exploitative practices towards pupils who are not recognised as workers," he said, calling on the Bar Council to address internal injustice within the profession.

Vince said the decades-old problem saw current pupils being paid from as low as RM300 throughout their nine-month chambering period, up to RM4,000, based on YLM data.

YLM spokesperson Vince Thian

Meanwhile, YLM member Goh Chia Yee said he had personally raised the issue during a press conference at the Bar Council two years ago and will continue to do so until its resolution.

"Two years ago, I said if things didn't change, you'd see us again. Now you have seen us quite a few times, and the question many people will ask is, 'why are you knocking on the same door'?

"If no one opens the door with what we want, you will see us again. We have brought the press conference right to the EGM, to the heart of things," said Goh.

In March, the YLM has failed to pass their motion raised during the Malaysian Bar's 75th annual general meeting (AGM), for the Bar to enact a ruling by Dec 31 that pupils must be paid an allowance that is at least poverty-line income from between RM1,900 to RM2,500 depending on the state, or the national minimum wage, whichever is higher.

The motion noted that since last year, the Bar Council had proposed several amendments to the Legal Profession Act so that the Bar can make rules to regulate salaries, allowances and working conditions of lawyers and staff. - Mkini