During legal proceedings, the lawyer is responsible for advising and defending his client. He is authorized to provide legal advice and draft contracts and acts that he can carry out on behalf of his client. Dignity, conscience, independence, probity and humanity …The lawyer takes an oath before the Court of Appeal of his Bar Law Tutor. During this ceremony, he undertakes to respect the essential principles of the profession. A look back at these five essential qualities for the profession of lawyer.
Dignity
By his oath, the lawyer respects a duty of dignity. According to the Larousse definition, the lawyer will have an “attitude marked by reserve, seriousness, inspired by the nobility of feelings or by the desire for respectability”.
Consciousness
The legal profession requires a certain professional conscience combining confidentiality and professional secrecy. Out of conscience, the lawyer can and must refuse a client if this hinders his deep convictions, there is a conscience clause with regard to himself. This clause has the sometimes subjective moral element preventing the intervention of the lawyer for personal reasons. For example, the lawyer cannot be the advisor, representative or defender of more than one client in the same matter unless the parties agree or if a colleague of the firm defends the opposing party.
Independence
“The legal profession is a liberal and independent profession whatever its mode of exercise” (Article 1 – The essential principles of the legal profession – L. Dec. 31, 1971, art. 1-I paragraph 3, art. 3 paragraph 2, art. 15 paragraph 2; D. July 12, 2005, arts. 1, 2 and 3; D. Nov. 27, 1991 art. 183)
A good lawyer must not allow himself to be influenced, he guarantees his client proper advice while respecting the Law.
Probity
Probity is defined, according to the CNRTL, as “righteousness which leads to respecting the property of others, to observing the rights and duties of justice” . An essential principle of the ethics of lawyers, probity is a primordial notion in the study and practice of the profession. The lawyer must be honest and this honesty must be reflected in the management of the client file. If a disagreement arises, he must evaluate it and know how to abandon the file if necessary. Just as the lawyer must respect the position of his client before pleading. Furthermore, beyond his role as defender, the lawyer must also know how to listen and advise.
Humanity
A lawyer must be understanding and compassionate towards his client while being fair. Lawyer is above all a legal profession but it is also a human profession which comes to the aid of people in difficulty. A real partner of justice, the lawyer can intervene in civil, economic and social life. He is a true defender of the rights and freedoms of the natural and legal persons he will assist in court. It provides its clients with advice and assistance for the implementation of legal rules or principles, drafting of acts, negotiation and monitoring of contractual relations.