TANTUAN, EDHONA C.

#37


LAWYER IS A MINISTER OF JUSTICE
The principles of justice may be summed up into rendering or giving one
what is due him. This in effect is the proper administration of our laws. Every
person must, in the exercise of his rights and in the performance of his duties, act
with justice, give everyone his due and observe honesty and good faith.
In prosecuting or defending cases, the lawyer must be guided by the
principles of justice. He must rely on the merits of his cases and should avoid using
influence and connections to win his cases. His cases must be won because they
are meritorious and not because of connections, clout, dominance or influence. To
do so, the lawyer breaks the basic principles of justice which is highly
condemnible.
A lawyer must not display or boast of being influential to the court. This will
erode the confidence of the public on the fair administration of justice. The
independence of judges must be maintained and guarded at all times in order to
strengthen our system of dispensing justice.
On the other hand, the judge has the corresponding duty not to convey or
permit others to convey the impression that they are in a special position to
influence the judge.




Source:
Legal Ethics Annotated (2009 edition)
By Ernesto Pineda
p. 206


No. of words: 209