POST 6 - Malaysian Bar: Law programmes may not be law-abiding

Published by ©The Star Newspapers on January 4, 2013

PETALING JAYA: Law degrees offered by some educational institutions have not been recognised by the Legal Profession Qualifying Board.

The Malaysian Bar said it has received reports that some institutions have said their programmes will be recognised by the board in “a matter of time” and will have retrospective effect, when in reality, there was no such assurance.

“Such schools may be accredited with the Malaysian Qualifications Agency, but mere accreditation is not adequate to satisfy the applicable criteria where entry into the legal profession is concerned,” said Malaysian Bar president Lim Chee Wee.

“These institutions must still seek the approval of the Board for their law programmes,” he said in a statement yesterday.

He also urged those who intend to pursue a law degree to verify with the Board the status of the educational institution and law programme.

For Universiti Utara Malaysia and Multimedia University students who enrolled before the 2009/2010 intake, Lim said the Board had stipulated that their graduates could be admitted to the Bar, provided they successfully undergo additional training courses in drafting of pleadings, opinion writing, and conveyancing practice.

He said the graduates are also required to attend lectures, complete assignments and secure passing grades in the assessment exercises.

“No such provision has been made for other non-recognised law programmes,” he said.

He added the Board's evaluation team recently reviewed Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin's law programme and will decide whether and how their law graduates would be eligible to join the legal profession. (the emphasis is mine)

Lim called on the Bar, the Attorney-General's Chambers, the judiciary, Malaysian Corporate Counsel Association, the public and private law schools to work together to review legal education in the country.

SOURCE: http://www.thestar.com.my/News/Nation/2013/01/04/Bar-Law-programmes-may-not-be-lawabiding.aspx

ALSO CITED HERE: http://www.malaysianbar.org.my/legal/general_news/bar_law_programmes_may_not_be_law_abiding.html

BAHASA MALAYSIA TRANSLATION (via Google Translate) 

Badan Peguam Malaysia: Program Undang-undang mungkin tidak mematuhi syarat

PETALING JAYA: Ijazah undang-undang yang ditawarkan oleh beberapa institusi pendidikan tidak diiktiraf oleh Lembaga Kelayakan Profesion Undang-Undang (LKPUU).

Badan Peguam Malaysia berkata ia telah menerima laporan bahawa beberapa institusi telah berkata program mereka akan diiktiraf oleh lembaga dan hanya "menunggu masa" sahaja dan akan mempunyai kesan retrospektif, apabila pada hakikatnya, tidak ada jaminan tersebut.

"Universiti itu boleh ditauliahkan dengan Agensi Kelayakan Malaysia, tetapi akreditasi semata-mata tidak mencukupi untuk memenuhi kriteria berkenaan kemasukan ke dalam profesion undang-undang," kata Presiden Majlis Peguam Malaysia, Lim Chee Wee.

"Institusi-institusi ini masih perlu mendapatkan kelulusan Lembaga bagi program undang-undang mereka," kata beliau dalam satu kenyataan hari ini.

Beliau juga menggesa mereka yang berhasrat untuk menyambung pengajian ijazah undang-undang untuk mengesahkan dengan Lembaga status institusi pendidikan dan program undang-undang.

Untuk Universiti Utara Malaysia dan pelajar Universiti Multimedia yang mendaftar sebelum pengambilan 2009/2010, Lim berkata Lembaga Pengarah telah menetapkan bahawa graduan mereka boleh dimasukkan ke dalam Bar, dengan syarat mereka berjaya menjalani kursus latihan tambahan dalam penggubalan pliding, menulis pendapat, dan conveyancing amalan.

Beliau berkata, graduan juga perlu menghadiri kuliah, tugasan yang lengkap dan mendapat gred lulus dalam latihan penilaian.

"Tidak ada apa-apa peruntukan telah dibuat bagi program undang-undang lain," katanya.

Beliau berkata pasukan penilaian Lembaga baru-baru ini telah mengkaji program undang-undang Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin dan akan menentukan sama ada dan bagaimana graduan undang-undang mereka akan layak untuk menyertai profesion undang-undang.

Lim menggesa Bar, Jabatan Peguam Negara, badan kehakiman, Persatuan Peguam Korporat Malaysia, institusi undang-undang awam dan swasta untuk bekerja bersama-sama untuk mengkaji pendidikan undang-undang di negara ini.