The Industrial Court of Malaysia (ICM) has raised concerns over the conduct of certain lawyers when appearing before its panel.
At a consultative committee meeting between ICM president Jeffry Kassim and the Bar Council, court chairmen and other stakeholders recently, ICM said there have been instances where lawyers have not maintained a respectful attitude in their courts.
It said some of them fail to display decorum and professional courtesy before the industrial court chairmen, according to a Bar Council circular sighted by FMT.
In an immediate response at the meeting, the Bar Council’s industrial and employment law committee (IELC) representative gave an assurance that it will act against members who are disrespectful.
“Any member who fails to adhere to the provisions of the Legal Profession (Practice and Etiquette) Rules 1978 may be subjected to a complaint being lodged with the Advocates and Solicitors Disciplinary Board,” it said.
The committee also proposed that the Bar Council issues a circular to remind lawyers to maintain courteous and professional conduct before the industrial courts.
The others who attended the meeting were representatives from the Advocates Association of Sarawak, the Sabah Law Society, Malaysian Employers Federation, and Malaysian Trade Unions Congress.
On another matter, the IELC urged the ICM to address the issue of a lack of qualified interpreters in the industrial courts which is affecting proceedings.
ICM said it has taken steps to address the shortage of qualified interpreters by appointing six temporary interpreters through the MySTEP portal on a contract basis, including three appointments made in April and May.
“These appointments are renewable annually. While ICM will make every effort to accommodate all requests for interpreters across its branches, parties are also encouraged to engage their own interpreters when necessary,” it said.
