The lawyer’s role is to counsel, conciliate, represent and defend. The UIA adopted a new resolution: Core Principles of the Legal Profession

This Tuesday, October 30, 2018, 1st day of its annual Congress, the UIA ratified during its General Assembly a resolution to remind the world of the Core Principles of the Legal Profession

8 principles referring to core values of the profession have been adopted: Independence of the lawyer and of the Bar ; Legal professional privilege and confidentiality ; Prohibition of conflicts of interest ; Competence ; Dignity, probity, loyalty and diligence ; Respect towards professional colleagues ; Contribution to the proper administration of justice and respect for the Rule of Law ; Right to fair remuneration.
These core principles have not been designed as a code of ethics. They are not intended to constitute binding rules. They are merely the expression of an ideal foundation common to all Bars, which constitutes both a summary of the principal national and international rules that govern the legal profession, and a goal to be achieved in an ideal state that respects the rule of law. (Memorandum preamble extract)
The UIA, constantly seeking to supplement its members’ knowledge of the judicial field, to promote their professional development, to build an international network primed to defend the Rule of Law, the independence of the judiciary, and the freedom of lawyers also wrote an explanatory memorandum in order to explain and illustrate these principles, and to help lawyers and Bars apply them.

The text of the resolution has been written by the UIA subcommittee in charge of the professional issues, chaired by Georges-Albert Dal (Belgium), and with members from Burkina Faso, Spain, U.S, Canada and France.