The Attorney / Lawyer / Advocat Profession
Like all professions, the practice of law possesses its own specific characteristics, requisite skills, operational style, and so forth. However, the present article will discuss the profession of an attorney through the lens of the law: what rights an attorney holds, and what standards the law imposes on an individual desiring to engage in legal practice.
Article 1.2 of the Law of Georgia "On Advocates" states that "An advocate is a person of a liberal profession who obeys only the law and the norms of professional ethics, and is a member of the Georgian Bar Association." While an attorney’s subordination to the law is entirely comprehensible, the Code of Professional Ethics "defines the norms of professional ethics and rules of conduct for advocates." Moreover, the purpose of this Code of Ethics is to "establish the attorney’s obligation to maintain professional dignity, respect their practice, and strive to gain high public trust in the legal profession." As for the term "liberal profession," the law, naturally, does not provide a complete and/or precise definition; however, it can be conceptualized as follows: "A liberal profession is one practiced by an intellectual worker (writer, physician, lawyer) who is not permanently employed at a single workplace and does not receive a fixed salary, but rather, whose remuneration is determined by the fees derived from the services rendered." In modern Georgia, the liberal profession of an attorney can be simply defined as: "A person of a liberal profession is an individual who offers services, assistance, and/or representation to others, acting independently based on the law and professional knowledge, and is protected in their practice from any third-party interference. A relationship founded on exceptional trust is established between the person of a liberal profession/attorney and their client."
Legal practice is grounded in a total of 11 principles. The principles upon which legal practice stands are as follows:
a) Legality;
b) The rule of law and the fair administration of justice;
c) Professional competence;
d) The attorney's integrity, good reputation, and respect for the legal profession;
e) Freedom and independence of legal practice;
f) Equality among attorneys and the inadmissibility of discrimination against them;
g) Non-interference in legal practice;
h) Respect for and protection of the client's rights and freedoms by the attorney;
i) Inadmissibility of the attorney refusing to exercise the right to defense, except in cases provided for by this Law;
j) Protection of professional secrecy by the attorney;
k) Adherence to the norms of professional ethics by the attorney.
Each of the aforementioned principles ensures, on the one hand, the independence of the attorney's practice and its confinement within the framework of legality and fairness, and on the other hand, the protection of the client (the person hiring the attorney). For instance, the "protection of professional secrecy by the attorney" means that the preservation of secrecy has no expiration date; it is a permanent obligation for the attorney. The attorney is obligated not to disclose to any other person the information made known to them by the client (not to disclose confidential information received from the client during the practice of law and/or related to their case). The attorney has the right not to divulge this received information to any third party, including law enforcement agencies, and they cannot be legally held liable or "held accountable" for doing so. Article 50, Paragraph 1 of the Criminal Procedure Code of Georgia defines individuals who are not obliged to serve as witnesses: a) "an attorney – concerning circumstances that became known to them in connection with the performance of their duties as an attorney in the given case," and b) "an attorney who provided legal assistance to a person prior to assuming their defense – concerning circumstances that became known to them in connection with the provision of legal assistance."
Legal practice is also protected by the Constitution. Specifically, Article 31, Paragraph 3, Subparagraph 2 of the Constitution of Georgia establishes that "the unhindered exercise of the rights of an advocate and the right of advocates to self-organization shall be guaranteed by law." The Preamble to the Charter of the Council of Bars and Law Societies of Europe (CCBE) defines the attorney’s role quite broadly as follows: an attorney must serve the interests of justice, as well as those whose rights and liberties they are entrusted to assert and defend. Furthermore, the attorney's duty is not solely to defend the client's position, but they are also obliged to serve as the client's advisor. Consequently, the attorney's function imposes a series of legal and moral obligations: towards the client; and towards the courts and other authorities before which the attorney pleads the client's cause or acts on their behalf.
Article 8, Paragraph 3 of the Code of Professional Ethics for Lawyers of Georgia stipulates that "an attorney does not have the right to give the client guarantees regarding the outcome of the case undertaken." This provision, on the one hand, protects the attorney from issuing any kind of guarantee to their client, and on the other hand, it protects the client. If a client receives a guarantee from an attorney under any circumstances, it means the attorney is violating the law, and therefore, one should not engage in a professional relationship with them. Beyond the obligation not to provide guarantees, this requirement is also interesting because it serves as a mandate that the attorney-client relationship must be based on exceptional trust—a trust founded on the attorney's reputation, professionalism, and integrity;
The Constitutional Court has issued several interesting decisions regarding the legal profession, including the following: "The protection of human rights by an attorney constitutes a far greater value in the process of building a state governed by the rule of law than the material consequences of taxing the income derived from their activities" (Decision of the Constitutional Court of Georgia of January 25, 2000, on case No. 1/1/207). In one of its decisions, the Court also indicated that "the profession of an attorney is not an entrepreneurial or economic activity." This is a crucial concept, as the law holds the attorney to a higher standard in society than usual, much like a medical doctor. While the trust/relationship between a doctor and a patient ultimately yields results for the patient's health, the fiduciary relationship between an attorney and a client must yield the result of maximizing the protection of the client's rights;
Is legal practice an entrepreneurial activity? The answer to this is unequivocal and affirmative (in its classical sense), yet obligations such as the duty of independence, loyalty to the client, maintenance of confidentiality, and avoidance of conflicts of interest do not apply to any standard entrepreneurial activity in a free market economy. It can be said that legal practice differs starkly from entrepreneurial activity; while this practice obeys the rules of a market economy, it does so on one condition: it carries numerous obligations toward the client and society. The explanation provided by the Constitutional Court in one of its cases is also noteworthy, where it emphasized the mandatory definition of this profession: "According to the assessment of the Constitutional Court, although an attorney is a person of a liberal profession who receives a fee based on the legal services rendered, this does not imply the absolute freedom of legal practice. On the contrary, legal practice is a regulated profession." It further adds: "The attorney emerges as an entity defending the established public legal order in the country. The predominantly public nature of the attorney's work is also evident from their obligation to promote society's understanding of the rule of law principle and to build trust in the justice system during the course of their legal practice. Above all, the attorney serves the interests of justice and fairness, providing the person seeking justice with the opportunity to make a substantial contribution to the judicial process. In doing so, they are integrated into the unified process of administering justice and serve its goals.";
In some instances, the role of the attorney in society is not perceived correctly. This is partly due to the fact that, for example, the liberal profession allows a person to be both an attorney and a politician and/or to engage in political activities; however, this unequivocally does not diminish the attorney's role in the modern justice system. In most cases, the first question directed at an attorney when introducing them to a case is: "Will you win the case?!" I have already referenced the prohibition on guarantees above. Furthermore, the primary purpose of an attorney can be translated as follows: the attorney's purpose is to ensure that a person is not sentenced/penalized more than what is prescribed by law, to ensure the maximum protection of the client's interests, and, if the circumstances of the case permit, to secure an acquittal or the dismissal of the lawsuit against them. This is where real advocacy begins, not in Hollywood movies where the lawyer finds the most crucial piece of evidence at the very last moment;
Although attorney fees are individual and not subject to any set limits (except for the obligation to order the opposing party in a civil case to reimburse legal costs not exceeding 4% of the value of the subject of the dispute), the CCBE Model Code of Conduct, which serves as a guide for lawyers in the European Union and the European Economic Area, is also relevant here. Specifically, Clause 3.4 regulates the issue of fees, establishing that: 3.4.1. A fee charged by a lawyer shall be fully disclosed to the client, shall be fair and reasonable. 3.4.2. Subject to any proper agreement to the contrary between a lawyer and the client, fees charged by a lawyer shall be subject to regulation in accordance with the rules applied to members of the Bar or Law Society to which the lawyer belongs.
In the present article, I have attempted to provide a fundamental explanation of the attorney's role within the legislative space. In conclusion, I would point out that "The State is obliged, on the one hand, not to unjustifiably interfere in the attorney's practice, and on the other hand, to provide them—as a qualified legal advisor to a person seeking justice—with the necessary guarantees for independent practice, relying upon which the attorney will be able to conduct their activities free from any external pressure and interference." After all, justice, as well as fairness and legality, are inconceivable and even impossible without an attorney.
Attorney Guram Kontuadze, comprehensive legal and advocacy
services throughout the entire territory of Georgia. tel/viber/WhatsApp: +995 591 976 764;
mail: guram.kontuadze@gmail.com;
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ადვოკატი თბილისში ადვოკატი საქართველოში ადვოკატი რუსთავში ადვოკატი თელავში ადვოკატი მარნეულში ადვოკატი ზუგდიდში ადვოკატი ქუთაისში ადვოკატი ბათუმში ადვოკატი სურამში ადვოკატი ვაკეში ადვოკატი ვერაზე ადვოკატი ციხეზე ადვოკატი წალკაში ადვოკატი საბურთალოზე ადვოკატი ვარკეთილში ადვოკატი ახალ რუსთავში ადვოკატი ახალ რუსთავში ადვოკატი დმანისში ადვოკატი ბოლნისში ადვოკატი საგარეჯოში ადვოკატი მიწის სამოქალაქოს ადვოკატი საადვოკატო მომსახურება თბილისში საადვოკატო მომსახურება რუსთავში საადვოკატო მომსახურება თელავში საადვოკატო მომსახურება მარნეულში საადვოკატო მომსახურება ზუგდიდში საადვოკატო მომსახურება ქუთაისში საადვოკატო მომსახურება ბათუმში საადვოკატო მომსახურება საგარეჯოში საადვოკატო მომსახურება ახალ რუსთავში საადვოკატო მომსახურება ახალ რუსთავში იურისტი ახალ რუსთავში იურისტი დმანისში იურისტი თბილისში იურისტი საქართველოში იურისტი რუსთავში იურისტი ბათუმში იურისტი ქუთაისში იურისტი ზუგდიდში სამოქალაქო საქმის ადვოკატი სისხლის სამართლის ადვოკატი ადმინისტრაციული სამართლის ადვოკატი მიწის საკითხებზე მომუშავე ადვოკატი განქორწინებაზე მომუშავე ადვოკატი ქონებაზე მომუშავე ადვოკატი ქონების ადვოკატი ადვოკატი სამოქალაქო საქმეზე ადვოკატი სისხლის სამართლის საქმეზე განქორწინების შემდგომ რა ხდება განქორწინების შედეგები ადვოკატი სამოქალაქო საკითხებში სამოქალაქო საქმის ადვოკატი საქართველოში სამოქალაქო საქმის ადვოკატი ზუგდიდში სამოქალაქო საქმის ადვოკატი ბათუმში სამოქალაქო საქმის ადვოკატი საგარეჯოში სამოქალაქო საქმის ადვოკატი მარნეულში სამოქალაქო საქმის ადვოკატი თელავში ადმინისტრაციული საქმის ადვოკატი თბილისში ადმინისტრაციული საქმის ადვოკატი საქართველოში ადმინისტრაციული საქმის ადვოკატი ზუგდიდში სისხლის სამართლის საქმის ადვოკატი თბილისში სისხლის სამართლის საქმის ადვოკატი საქართველოში სისხლის სამართლის საქმის ადვოკატი რუსთავში სისხლის სამართლის საქმის ადვოკატი ზუგდიდში სისხლის სამართლის საქმის ადვოკატი საგარეჯოში სისხლის სამართლის საქმის ადვოკატი მარნეულში სისხლის სამართლის საქმის ადვოკატი თბილისში სისხლის სამართლის საქმის ადვოკატი ბათუმში სისხლის სამართლის საქმის ადვოკატი საგარეჯოში ბიზნეს ადვოკატი რუსთავში ბიზნეს ადვოკატი თბილისში ბიზნეს ადვოკატი ბათუმში ბიზნეს ადვოკატი ქუთაისში სტარტაპ ადვოკატი თბილისში საადვოკატო ბიურო თბილისში საადვოკატო ბიურო საქართველოში საადვოკატო ბიურო რუსთავში საადვოკატო ბიურო ზუგდიდში საადვოკატო ბიურო საგარეჯოში საადვოკატო ბიურო მარნეულში საადვოკატო ბიურო თელავში advokati tbilisshi advokati rustavshi advokati saqartveloshi advokati bolnisshi advokati marneulshi advokati qutaisshi advokati zugdidshi advokati walkashi advikati marneulshi advokati dmanisshi advokati telavshi sisxlis samartlis advokati samoqalaqo samartlis advokati administraciuli samartlis advokati адвокат в Тбилиси адвокат в Грузии Адвокат в Рустави Адвокат в Батуми Адвокат в Ваке Адвокат в Телави Адвокат по гражданским делам iuristi tbilisshi iuristi saqartveloshi sasamartlos iuristi sasamartlo advokati სასამართლო ადვოკატი ადვოკატი სასამრთლოში
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