A recent amendment to the Legal Profession Act of Saint Lucia will see the Court and the Disciplinary Committee of the Bar Association working hand-in-hand to enforce the ethics of the profession.

The Committee will do so by recommending the disciplinary action to be taken against an improper attorney to the Court, and the Court will provide the final decision.

Attorney Deale Lee, who also serves as an Independent Senator, highlights this crucial step in weeding out potential cases of malpractice in the legal fraternity.

“The Disciplinary Committee can now refer matters to the Court where we believe that it is necessary to either suspend or to revoke an attorney's membership of the Bar.”

On its own, the Attorney clarified, the Disciplinary Committee has certain powers to provide redress to affected clients, however direct punishments to attorneys are not one of them.

“Right now, the Committee can award certain levels of compensation, they can issue reprimands, but in terms of suspension or termination or disbarment, sorry, they don't have that power.”

To his fellow brothers and sisters in the profession, he notes that this recent amendment should not concern them if they have been forthright in their actions.

“So persons who are not acting in such a manner, to put it colloquially, need to check themselves because changes are coming and it's going to be stricter in terms of the way that the regulations and the ethics of the practice are enforced against them.”