Orientation session held by the Bar Council of the Maldives in cooperation with the Foundation
Special License Training Program for Maldivian Lawyers opened on 23 August 2020, with an orientation session for the temporary licensing of lawyers inaugurated by President of the Bar Council of the Maldives, Maumoon Hameed, and Secretary General of the Bar Council, Dr Marium Jabyn. The Special License Training Program is organised by the Bar Council of the Maldives in cooperation with the Max Planck Foundation with over 300 law graduates participating.
Following an amendment to the Legal Professions Act on 22 July 2020, the Bar Council was charged with establishing a one-month training program to provide temporary licensing for lawyers. In this regard, the Bar Council had two weeks to develop a corresponding curriculum for the Special License Training Program and the respective examinations. The one-month curriculum includes modules on Professional Ethics, the Maldivian Legal System, Civil and Criminal Procedure, Drafting Skills and Dhivehi Language Skills. In order to succeed, the participants must complete assignments and pass a final exam by 22 September, after which they will be awarded a temporary license to practice law in the Maldives.
Building on the existing cooperation with the Bar Council, the Foundation has supported the Special License Training Program by hosting the course on its online LEARN platform, and developing the Professional Ethics component of the Program. Firstly, the Professional Ethics module aims to introduce law graduates to the professional ethical standards for lawyers contained in international, regional and domestic standards, such as independence, diligence, fair treatment and confidentiality. Secondly, the purpose of the module is to advance the ethical decision-making skills of the participants in a practical manner to prepare newly qualified lawyers to navigate ethical challenges with integrity in their daily work.
The Special License Training Program will take place from 23 August to 22 September 2020. As required by law, those awarded temporary license to practice law will later have to complete a bar exam as required by the Legal Professions Act.
The contribution made by the Foundation to the Special License Training Program comes from funding from the German Federal Foreign Office, under the project, “Strengthening the Rule of Law in the Maldives”.