Professional confidentiality: what are the boundaries?

[Estro Felino]

All murderers have barristers defending them in the UK. I suspect most of them know that they are guilty. But they are still required to defend them.

We need to distinguish between freelance lawyers and public (court-appointed) defenders. The first can say "no, I am not interested in defending you", because there are always public lawyers.
By the way...I won't judge them...it's just that you need to be an atheist to do such a thing in my humble opinion.

 

[Terrywoodenpic]

We need to distinguish between freelance lawyers and public (court-appointed) defenders. The first can say "no, I am not interested in defending you", because there are always public lawyers.
By the way...I won't judge them...it's just that you need to be an atheist to do such a thing in my humble opinion.

My grand daughter is in her final training year before she is registered as a solicitor specialising in family and children's law. She represents her own clients in court. But works under the supervision of a director. She has now been asked to also look after FGM cases for the firm. It is one of the largest firms of solicitors in the UK, and the largest in the UK taking on publically funded cases.

 

[Estro Felino]

My grand daughter is in her final training year before she is registered as a solicitor specialising in family and children's law. She represents her own clients in court. But works under the supervision of a director. She has now been asked to also look after FGM cases for the firm. It is one of the largest firms of solicitors in the UK, and the largest in the UK taking on publically funded cases.

That's interesting. Very good.
I know there's an Italian lawyer in UK, Simonetta A. Hornby that is specialized in family law as well.

 

[Heyo]

Does it surprise you that many attorneys are willing to defend murderers?
I mean...people who tell their own lawyers : "yes, I did kill that person, but I want to get away with it".
Is it normal?

Everyone has a right to a fair trial and a lawyer. The lawyer is there to get the best possible outcome for their client. That may in many cases not be an acquittal but a low sentence.
I don't see how that is unethical.

 

[Terrywoodenpic]

That's interesting. Very good.
I know there's an Italian lawyer in UK, Simonetta A. Hornby that is specialized in family law as well.

She seems to be better known these days as an author. After a long and distinguished career in law.

 

[Estro Felino]

Everyone has a right to a fair trial and a lawyer. The lawyer is there to get the best possible outcome for their client. That may in many cases not be an acquittal but a low sentence.
I don't see how that is unethical.

Of course they do.
But you know that "getting away with it" is like demanding the moon.
I don't know the criminal procedure in other countries but here you can ask for a fast-track trial and have the penalty reduced by 1/3.
Even if they committed a crime, it's rightful to defend one's own client.

 

[Watchmen]

Called attorney-client privilege in the legal context, or in religious contexts, confession secret (as for the priests during the sacrament of confession).

I have known penal lawyers (that is attorneys that are specialized in criminal procedure) that have had knowledge (and evidence) that their own client was an assassin. A murderer.
This attorney secretly shipped all the evidence to the prosecutor, who could find further evidence which could be used in court.
So the suspect, and later the defendant received a life sentence.
The lawyer renounced the defense, (that is, he resigned), so he didn't violate any attorney-client privilege.

What do you think? Do you agree that sometimes this secret is supposed to be violated in order to make Justice triumph?

The lawyer should be disbarred indefinitely.

 

[Revoltingest]

I would like to know what this has to do with my thread.

By the way...if the question is addressed to me, I give the extra bill back to the client.

It's commentary on lawyer ethics.

 

[Revoltingest]

I might be missing the point. Surely it's the client you tell, and hand him back the money?

Oh, such naivete.
The client is a lawyer's chum.

 

[Estro Felino]

The lawyer should be disbarred indefinitely.

Do you think people study law to turn their studio into a firm producing injustice?
Profit maximization?
I don't think so.

 

[Watchmen]

Do you think people study law to turn their studio into a firm producing injustice?

No.

Profit maximization?

Sometimes.

 

[Estro Felino]

No.

Sometimes.

One question: do you think that those prosecutors who are willing to imprison an innocent, are much better ?
They prefer to keep an innocent in prison, because admitting "I was wrong" is too vilifying for their infinite ego.
It happened.

 

[Watchmen]

One question: do you think that those prosecutors who are willing to imprison an innocent, are much better ?
They prefer to keep an innocent in prison, because admitting "I was wrong" is too vilifying for their infinite ego.
It happened.

I think you have a misguided view of what lawyers do.

 

[vulcanlogician]

I 100% agree with Watchman. The lawyer should be disbarred. Unless the legal system works vastly different in OP's home than it does in the US and I'm missing something.

I'm the last person who wants to see a murderer go free, but court works under an adversarial system. This is in order to ensure that both sides of the case are defended as well as possible. Even if you are guilty as sin, you have the right to the best defense your lawyer can give.

The lawyer not only betrayed his client, he betrayed the system that is painstakingly structured to maximize fairness in the legal process.

 

[Estro Felino]

I think you have a misguided view of what lawyers do.

No...the others have perverted the sense of justice that should guide every jurist, whether magistrate, attorney, prosecutor, and so on.
They have turned Justice into a sewer made up of injustice and greed.
And they are all godless people, since you need to have a minimum of fear of God to avoid all this.

 

[Estro Felino]

The lawyer not only betrayed his client, he betrayed the system that is painstakingly structured to maximize fairness in the legal process.

I know a case in Southern Italy where the attorneys who did know of their client's guilt, were jailed for aiding and abetting (one year and a half sentence).
Whereas the magistrate that received that evidence from the lawyer (behind the scenes) is considered one of the most respected and praised district attorneys in Italy.
He considered the victim (a 15 year old girl) like his own daughter. And he did justice.

 

[Estro Felino]

The lawyer not only betrayed his client, he betrayed the system that is painstakingly structured to maximize fairness in the legal process.

In my country the common good prevails over the private interests.
So the common sense of Justice of the justice-thirsty crowd prevails over the will of the murderer to get away with murder.

 

[Estro Felino]

I think you have a misguided view of what lawyers do.

Greedy lawyers do whatever they like. They even cross all thresholds. Even that of legality.
Because their money-hunger never ends.

 

[Terrywoodenpic]

Greedy lawyers do whatever they like. They even cross all thresholds. Even that of legality.
Because their money-hunger never ends.

Most lawyers in the UK work for a salary and never become rich. Even those that are partners in a firm are so heavily regulated that they might be fairly wealthy but not on the rich list.

The few that are extremely rich are probably criminals. Or play on the very edge of the law.

 

[Estro Felino]

Most lawyers in the UK work for a salary and never become rich. Even those that are partners in a firm are so heavily regulated that they might be fairly wealthy but not on the rich list.

The few that are extremely rich are probably criminals. Or play on the very edge of the law.

I do know that...because I have known wonderful attorneys that didn't ask for anything, and then when they won the cause, the other party paid the legal expenses.