The Secretary of the Uganda Law Council, Peace Athocon, has urged the newly enrolled advocates to uphold professionalism and ethics in the administration of justice.
She made the appeal while presiding over the ceremony held at the Court of Appeal Conference Hall in Kampala, where a total of nearly 197 new advocates were enrolled.
Athocon emphasized the need for timekeeping, which will turn into great assets to the new advocates, as they pointed out that new and fresh learners should be quick to adopt such a culture at the beginning.
“You should embrace continuous learning, seek mentorship, and most importantly, avoid pride and arrogance because they are dangerous traits, which are not good for your progress as well as success in this profession,” Ms. Athocon said.
The Chief Registrar, Sarah Langa Siu, said good ethics and professionalism are the core values that will determine how they carry out their duties in the future.
She further warned the new advocates on the dangers of handling money irresponsibly, such as in the case of embezzlement of client funds, or more specifically, where funds received by the lawyer on behalf of clients were inadequately accounted for, thus causing dents in their image.
The President of the Uganda Law Society, Bernard Oundo, asked the new advocates to maintain hope and stay focused on the vision they set when they began their legal studies.
“Success may mean different things to different people, but true fulfillment comes from hard work, faith, integrity, and resilience,” Oundo said.
The ceremony was moderated by Her Worship Timothy Lumunye, Personal Assistant to the Chief Registrar.
The enrolment of these 197 new advocates is a significant milestone for the legal community in Uganda, marking an influx of fresh talent and dedication to the profession.