DOHA: The Qatari Lawyers’ Association has completed making proposed changes to a draft law that seeks to regulate the legal profession in the country.
The association is opposed to some articles of the draft and wanted changes. The Ministry of Justice agreed to look into the proposed changes and consider them for incorporation.
A joint committee of nine lawyers from the association and some senior officials of the ministry was set up to make the proposed changes. The association will have a meeting with the ministry to discuss the issue next week, local Arabic daily Al Watan reported yesterday.
The panel has held two sessions in the office of the association’s president to draft the changes.
The draft law prepared by the ministry seeks to amend some key provisions of Law No. 23 of 2006 that regulates the legal profession.
The association is opposed to four articles: One seeks to give company officials who are law graduates the right to represent their employers in court in legal matters; another seeks to fix lawyers’ commission in claims they win for their clients in court cases to 10 percent, another pertains to foreign law offices operating in Qatar and the other is on punitive action against erring lawyers.
Company representatives who are law graduates had the right to represent their employers in court earlier but as the privilege was opposed by Qatari lawyers, the 2006 law made it illegal.
The panel comprises lawyers Abdul Aziz Al Khulaifi, Rashid Al Khalifah, Mohsen Makki, Saud Al Athbah, Sultan Al Abdullah, Abdullah Nassir, Yousef Al Zaman and Ali Al Hajji.
The Peninsula
