2017-08-17

Gaza

Gaza

The respected Chairman and members of the Bar Association Council/ Gaza,

Subject: the performance of the Bar Association Council in defending the dignity of its members and meeting their needs

MUSAWA – The Palestinian Center for the Independence of the Judiciary and the Legal Profession extend their warmest greetings to you, noting that we have received a complaint in writing, dated 07/08/2017, from lawyer Shireen Shaheen, where she states her objection to the arrangements of the ceremony where lawyers take the oath, held on 08/01/2017. The complainant claims that the atmosphere of the ceremony does not suit the prestige of the legal oath and the status of the legal profession. The lawyers participating in the ceremony and their families were not treated on an equal basis. According to the complaint, a ceremony was held especially for a limited number of lawyers in a comfortable ambience and air-conditioned rooms. This ceremony was conducted before the public ceremony, where the atmosphere was exhausting and the rooms were not air-conditioned.

In her second complaint, the complainant claimed that the money that the Bar receives is misused by the respected Bar Council to furnish the offices of the Council members and install air-conditioning devices, in addition to allocating the upper floor of the building for the members of the Council while the lawyers’ hall is left as it is, without any restoration, maintenance, or even adaptation to meet the intended purpose.

In her third complaint, the complainant claimed that the Bar Council had verified the identity of the citizen ………………. and stamped the authorization document, where the citizen gives someone else authority to get him a Palestinian passport, despite the fact that the Council is certain that the said citizen is abroad and, therefore, did not appear before the competent authority. This oversteps the rules and legal procedures of verification as a requirement of stamping passport power of attorney documents.

As an independent non-governmental watchdog organization, MUSAWA believes in the role the Bar plays in defending the rights of its members, maintaining their dignity, providing all the appropriate means that suit their profession, and treating them equally in accordance with the Bar’s law and regulations on bases of transparency, integrity and accountability, contributing to the trust the Bar members and the citizens have in the Bar Association and its role in the community. MUSAWA believes that the contents of the complaint, if true, indicate insufficient performance that requires administrative action and accountability.

Accordingly, we ask your respected Council to look thoroughly into this memo and take the appropriate legal, administrative and financial action regarding the matter. We ask that any findings and decisions made by your Excellency in remedy of the matter at hand be announced to the public, which in turn enhances the confidence of the lawyers and their families in the role of the Bar Association, deepens their attachment to the Council, and enables them of fulfilling their duty with pride and dignity.

With all due respect,

Issued on 17/08/2017

Chairman of MUSAWA’s Board of Directors

Adv. Yasser Jabr

Attachments:

- A copy of the complaint lodged by the citizen Shireen Shaheen.