Training facilitator and former Judge Nazhat Shameem says improving court standards will be the major aim of the Director of Public Prosecution office advocacy training next week.
Mrs Shameem said lawyers need continuous legal education and training to develop their skills in advocating for justice.
“It’s really to make lawyers better lawyers, more efficient, more ethical and for them to be familiar with the laws they are dealing with,” she said.
The former judge believes unprofessional lawyers can have an impact on the legal court process.
“If lawyers are not subjected to continuous training, then the way they represent their clients will not be entirely successful and if it’s not successful the court system will fail to give justice.”
“The workshop will be mostly practical where lawyers and judges will get a chance to participate and improve on bad habits.
“That is an opportunity for judges to be part of the process and any bad habits lawyers fall into, that’s an opportunity for judges to correct them,” Shameem said.
Mrs Shameem also stressed the legal education system in Fiji was not complacent.
“The legal education programme I have seen in the past tends to be a person who talks for half an hour and then there is questions and answers but my own belief is that the best way people learn is by doing. Learning by doing is the methodology and I don’t think legal education in the past have focused on that,” she said.
The training is expected to improve court standards for delivering justice to the people.
The workshop is scheduled for November 24 to 26 at the Fijian Resort.