Iraqi lawyers are demanding the enactment of a new law to protect them

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[size=52]Iraqi lawyers are demanding the enactment of a new law to protect them[/size]

[size=45]Blessed be Abdul Majeed[/size]
[size=45]The legal profession in Iraq is exposed to a number of harassments that hinder its practitioners from completing their duties. Every year, about 100 lawyers are exposed to attacks and threats of physical liquidation, and many have died because they did not abandon their legal duty, as a result of the absence of the rule of law and the spread of uncontrolled weapons.[/size]
[size=45]A member of the Bar Association Council, Legal Aws Al-Taie, said during an interview with (Al-Mada) that “the Law on the Legal Profession No. 173 of 1965 includes “outdated” articles that do not fit with the current reality,” stressing that “the law does not meet the ambition of the members of the General Authority and trade unionists to perform their duties.” Towards the segment of lawyers.” He added, “The law has undergone 14 amendments since its enactment, but its texts have stopped updating since the 1990s, which requires accelerating amendments, such as adding articles regulating the mechanism of belonging and granting more protection, in addition to expanding the scope of work.”[/size]
[size=45]It is worth noting that the Iraqi Bar Association intends to continue communicating with the legislative authority and concerned authorities, for the purpose of improving the legal profession and making it compatible with the current reality.[/size]
[size=45]Al-Taie continues, “The most prominent challenges that hinder the legal profession are related to the security aspect,” pointing out that “unruly weapons have claimed the life of every lawyer who worked with integrity and sincerity, and we witness from time to time many attempts at threats and attacks.”[/size]
[size=45]Al-Taie calls for “the necessity of imposing the forces of the state and the law on any other forces that seek to destabilize the security situation in the country.” Speaking about the economic aspect, he explains that “the large number of lawyers and the delay in amending the law on the legal profession caused a decline in the financial returns for lawyers and reduced job opportunities, in addition to the intrusion of many individuals who do not have the right to work as lawyers, such as brokers, brokers, and brokers,” indicating that “the law granted lawyers the right “Exclusively for them to monitor citizens’ actions and follow up on their legal affairs.”[/size]
[size=45]Al-Taie likened the role of persecution officers to someone who intentionally steals “the livelihood of others, and despite the multiple circulars issued by the ministries and the General Secretariat of the Council of Ministers on various occasions, we still witness their presence in the departments in a large way,” adding that “a number of complaints and criminal prosecutions have been filed, but they are “It did not yield results, which requires a firm stance by departments and ministries to reduce this phenomenon.”[/size]
[size=45]He continues, “Improving the reality of the legal profession in the country depends on amending and legislating legal texts that suit the security situation. There is also a need to regulate the number of graduates who want to study the law department, and try to provide job opportunities.”[/size]
[size=45]For his part, lawyer Salam Musa expresses “his concern about the Iraqi environment’s incompatibility, in terms of security and economics, with the smooth practice of the legal profession.”[/size]
[size=45]He added, speaking to (Al-Mada), that “some citizens have begun to go to the clerks and brokers instead of lawyers, because of their demand for lower wages, and this is considered a violation of the law and a transgression against the profession of specialists.”[/size]
[size=45]Salam continues, “A large number of lawyers have been subjected to blackmail and threats from several parties, and some police stations have abdicated their responsibility to protect them despite statements from the Ministry of Interior urging assistance and support for the lawyers.” He added, “The matter does not stop at just lack of assistance, but some members of government departments go further and play the role of blackmailer and bargainer, in order to allow the lawyers to complete their procedures.” He recounts, “Although lawyers do not receive their financial dues from the state, they are forced to pay a professional tax annually, estimated at one and a quarter million.”[/size]
[size=45]He added, “Most of the lawyers who took it upon themselves to defend the October Uprising demonstrators; Activists, journalists, and citizens were issued visas and were subjected to threats and assassination, and some of them were kidnapped simply for reading the call and not adopting it. This indicates a stifling of the freedom to work in the legal profession and distancing it from its lofty goals.”[/size]
[size=45]It is noteworthy that the number of lawyers who were killed during the year 2023 was about 10 individuals, while the number of criminal cases reached more than 100 cases annually, according to statements by the Bar Association.[/size]
[size=45]Lawyer Salam Moussa continues, “The solution is to legislate a new law that would preserve the rights of lawyers, such as the law protecting doctors and journalists, believing that the legal deterrent today is not strong enough to prevent people from attacking lawyers.”[/size]
[size=45]Legal expert Amir Al-Daami said, in an interview with Al-Mada, “The legal profession is a profession of difficulties because its employees face multiple challenges, the most important of which is the lack of a safe environment.”[/size]
[size=45]He added, “Many people are ignorant of the law, including citizens and employees of government departments, in addition to the presence of bureaucracy and complicated routines in the work of state institutions, in a way that hinders the quality of work and causes problems with clients.”[/size]
[size=45]He continues, “Some government departments deliberately obstruct the work of lawyers, even though the Law on Legal Practices has urged them to facilitate their work.”[/size]
[size=45]Al-Daami draws attention to the issue of accusing a lawyer of accusing his client, “which puts him in the midst of criticism and accusation from some parties, despite the fact that the crime has not been proven. He regrets the lack of attention to spreading legal culture and clarifying the lawyer’s duties and roles.”[/size]
[size=45]He continues, “The reason for the presence of outsiders to the legal profession is the formal and weak admissions to law schools, the number of which has increased beyond need, and there has become overcrowding in the number of graduates from law departments, which requires raising the high rates of law and establishing strict mechanisms to choose those who deserve to practice this profession, to ensure that it is not excluded from the legal profession.” Its humanitarian goals and turning it into a commercial career.”[/size]
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