Demands for a legislative amendment to keep pace with the development in the state and the profession .. And "Justice" and "Legal Affairs" confirm the punishment of violators

Lawyers break the law with promotional ads on social media

picture

"Emirates Today" has monitored the use of social media by lawyers and legal advisors to promote and advertise their work, in addition to publishing legal information in an inaccurate manner.

The Ministry of Justice and the Legal Affairs Department of the Government of Dubai called on lawyers to investigate the accuracy of what they publish legal information on social networking sites, and not to use these platforms for advertisements and promotion of their work, in a manner that is inconsistent with the traditions of the legal profession.

Actions against violators

The Director of the Department of Lawyers and Translators at the Ministry of Justice, Counselor Sarah Hazeem Al Shamsi, indicated that Ministerial Resolution No. 666 of 2015 issued by the Minister of Justice, regarding the rules of professional conduct and ethics of the legal profession in the country, obligates the lawyer, in the event of publicizing on his behalf, with the controls contained in the law , including within the rules of professional conduct and ethics of the legal profession.

She added that the Ministry's Lawyers Affairs Department is keen to implement what is stated in the law by monitoring everything that contravenes it, or following up on any complaint about a professional violation, including lawyers' advertisements.

She indicated that the measure taken by the administration is to verify the violation, hear the lawyer, and then refer him to the Admission Committee for Lawyers, which has the authority to refer him to the Public Prosecution for the gravity of the violation, such as using the state's logo to advertise themselves, because of this is an explicit violation of the law.

Article (37)

Lawyer Muhammad Ali Al Hammadi stated that Article (37) of the Law Regulating the Legal Profession made the announcement conditional in agreement with the traditions of the profession, and the executive regulations of the same law specified how the lawyer announced himself, by being on his office, and the papers for practicing his profession such as business cards or through the means Read books (such as newspapers and magazines), mentioning his name, rank, and specialization in the courts in which he practices the profession (primary and appeal only when he is registered, and he is authorized to plead before the Federal Supreme Court after five years of his registration), all in accordance with the traditions of the profession.

not visible

The Director of the Department of Lawyers and Translators at the Ministry of Justice, Counselor Sarah Hazeem Al Shamsi, said that “the number of lawyers who violate the provisions of the law regarding advertising themselves is small and not a phenomenon, compared to their number and what is happening in other countries, and this is due to the commitment of most lawyers to the law, they are his family And the second party is to achieve justice, on the grounds that they are a judiciary (standing) that seeks to uncover the truth and achieve justice.

The Ministry of Justice confirmed that it will not hesitate to impose penalties on lawyers who violate the law in relation to advertisements.

While lawyers demanded the amendment of Federal Law No. (23) of 1991 regarding the regulation of the legal profession and its amendments, to comply with the technological development in advertisements, pointing out the need to establish controls that define the prohibitions on lawyers in relation to advertising, in anticipation of being interpreted by any person according to his understanding.

In detail, "Emirates Today" monitored violations committed by lawyers and legal advisors by using social networking sites to promote their work, in addition to publishing legal information in an inaccurate manner, and "offensive" advertisements.

Among these violations is a Facebook page that offers to provide free legal advice, in exchange for leaving a comment attached to a contact phone number.

The page contains a mobile number, an email, and a motivational headline "Two don't lie when describing your case, lawyer and doctor."

Another violation came on Facebook, announcing the presence of a legal advisor with 15 years of experience in writing judicial memoranda, and a phone number to contact is attached at the end of the advertisement.

Another lawyer presents an advertisement on Facebook, which includes the possibility of providing legal services by simply contacting him.

A wide controversy arose after a lawyer published a law on "Instagram" that a wife would be punished with three months' imprisonment if she searched her husband's phone without his knowledge, and attached his name and phone number to the advertisement.

Lawyers and legal advisors considered what he published to be untrue.

decent way

Director General of the Legal Affairs Department of the Government of Dubai, Dr. Louay Belhoul, said that the law requires a lawyer to announce himself in a proper manner, and not in violation of the applicable legislation or the traditions of the profession.

Belhoul added that lawyers use social media and spread legal awareness through them, but they must investigate the accuracy of what they publish.

Lawyer alert

The Director of the Lawyers and Translators Department at the Ministry of Justice, Counselor Sarah Hazeem Al Shamsi, confirmed that "the ministry does not hesitate to punish lawyers who violate the law."

She said that the Admission Committee for Lawyers finally took a decision to warn a lawyer who violated the law by promoting his office, noting that the penalties in this regard vary according to the severity of the violation committed, and can reach referral to the Lawyers Disciplinary Board, after presentation to the Public Prosecution, and the imposition of disciplinary penalties in accordance with the law .

Al Shamsi explained that “the advertisements are considered legal, in a manner that does not conflict with what is regulated by Federal Law No. 23 of 1991 regarding the regulation of the legal profession, which was clear and explicit, as it organized the mechanism for lawyers’ advertisements for themselves, through controls represented in that the advertisement be in accordance with the traditions of the profession And without resorting to the use of propaganda or enticement, using intermediaries, and the executive regulations of the law specify the means of advertising.”

insult to profession

Lawyer Muhammad Ali Al Hammadi said that some advertisements published by some lawyers on social networking sites are considered "offensive to the profession", and do not conform to the traditions of the legal profession, pointing out that these practices include most of them publishing information that is usually wrong, and its goal is only to attract attention and spread information among individuals the society.

He added: “Every lawyer who owns websites for his person or his office must observe the traditions of the profession, and not publish anything that might provoke followers.

He must provide only correct legal information that contributes to raising awareness among followers, and the follower must also be aware that not everything that is published is true.

Al-Hammadi added, "Some read media are circulating this false information, the main purpose of which is propaganda."

He said: “With the tremendous technological development that we are witnessing today, the smartphone and the means of communication have become an integral part of any person or business, and we note that the law issued in 1991 did not even address advertising through the website, while there is no law firm in the country that does not have it. It has its own website, not to mention the smart programs owned by some offices, in line with the technological development in the country. Is this an advertisement that is against the law or violates the traditions of the profession?”

He continued: “The law in general needs to be amended in this regard, as law firms are no longer limited to criminal cases, marriage and divorce, in which the lawyer is not resorted to until after the fact. commercial, intellectual property registration, patents, etc.), which avoids the concerned party from entering into disputes and cases, which contributes to alleviating the burden on the state in general and the judiciary in particular.

The following is how you can develop the culture of hiring a lawyer, or how you will reach the intended segment without there being advertisements, provided that it conforms to the traditions of the profession, as is the case in some Western countries.

In addition, Lawyer Ali Mosbeh said that there are two types of lawyers using social networking sites, the first type is to spread legal awareness in a correct and concise manner with the aim of community awareness, with the correct name and job title, without contact numbers, and this type is a legal platform from which a large segment benefits From people in society, and the second type is used by some lawyers to spread the sick and fat, without verifying the legal information. Rather, it is misleading information for those who read it and is accompanied by the publication of the job title, and this type is not legally licensed by the competent authorities.

He added: “There are cases of people who identify themselves as lawyers, and they are in fact only legal reviewers or researchers, and the problem did not stop at this point, but rather they publish legal services on the legal communication network extensively, which is misleading to the recipients, and an insult to the reputation of the legal profession, Especially in cases where some of them announce that they can answer questions from followers around the clock, or who announce that they are a lawyer specializing in personal status cases or in immigration laws, and in fact it is not known who answers these questions, and how true these answers are.

Mosbeh continued: “All of this is against the law, and it offends lawyers and the legal profession in general.

He called on the concerned authorities to monitor the behavior of the profession, and to address the competent authorities to block the accounts used by people claiming to be lawyers, in order to prevent deception from members of society, and to transfer an impersonator as a lawyer to the Public Prosecution on charges of fraud.

In turn, lawyer Ibrahim Al-Hosani demanded the amendment of Federal Law No. (23) of 1991, regarding the regulation of the legal profession, as it does not keep pace with development in the state, the judiciary and the profession, pointing to the need to establish controls that define the prohibitions on lawyers, with regard to advertising, in anticipation of being interpreted. Anyone as he understands it.

Lawyers: Imprisonment of the wife for searching the husband's phone is untrue

Follow our latest local and sports news and the latest political and economic developments via Google news