Under the new law, in provinces with over 5,000 lawyers, a group of at least 2,000 lawyers can establish alternative bar associations. Large bar associations will lose influence in decision-making and the election of the umbrella body’s president. The alternative bar associations will be able to give practicing certificates to attorneys, leading to a decentralized licensing system. Human Rights Watch Turkey Director Emma Sinclair-Webb said the new law was passed without consultation with bar associations and was deliberately rushed through parliament. “The presidency’s divide and rule project to politicize the institutions that represent the legal profession is another sad day for the rule of law in Turkey,” she added.

Source: Ethiopian News July 11, 2020 18:56 UTC