Lawyers the world over are considered officers of the court and for good reason too. They are expected to ply their trade within the framework of law as prescribed by the societies they live in. They are expected to help us navigate the sometimes intricate rules that guides society from slipping into anarchy by upholding critical rights such as liberty, equal protection under the law and the overall jurisprudence that binds modern day nations.That is why in almost every nation be it a mature democracy like the US or troubled nations like Indonesia, lawyers and professional associations affliated with them are at the forefront of battles to ensure basic rights of their people are not trampled, threatened or outrightly violated. To be sure it is usually not a glamorous undertaking in that challenging authority particularly a ruthless tyranny entails an element of risk sometimes to the very well being of the complainant. I believe what drives crusading lawyers apart from their acute sense of what is right is the specter of having to live in nation with a wretched legal system that strives on repression and violates the rights of the very people to whom the country belongs. Afterall if the people with the greatest knowledge of the law choose to feed off an odious legal atmosphere rather than seek to correct it, then the rest of the population with far less knowledge or clout are essentially doomed to living under the whims and mechanisations of whatever passes itself as their leaders. That is why with a few exceptions I think Gambian lawyers either individually or as a professional organisation ought to bury their faces in utter disgrace for choosing to play by a flawed legal system rather than standing up what is right if not for the helpless people of Gambia , at least live by their own professional ethics. Unconstitutional decrees, arbitrary arrests, torture, judicial interference by the executive, murder none of these seem sufficient to raise the ire of either the bar as an organisation or private lawyers. Not even a non binding resolution expressing concern! You would think their would be a special panel within the bar looking into human rights and expressing public outrage in instances they determine egregious violations. Newspapers who have endured significant repression try to do their best to stand true to their profession by not only reporting events but staking positions in cases where it is warranted. Even professional business and medical associations make made their positions known in cases where the government is advancing one kooky idea or another that affects them . They may not be able to stop the government on it's determined path to ruin the nation, but by God the rest of us know and will always remember they have tried. After all list members, what is an education, experience or an ossociation worth if it is not garnered to make a difference. What is the real purpose of the bar ? I think working for the preeminence of the rule of law would be a good start. After all we are now experiencing a real macabre circumstance in which Yahya Jammeh's Attorney General is presiding over a seminar on Human Rights! A lady who is routinely signing off on illegal prosecutions of innocent people and covering up government wrongdoing . Individual lawyers and the Bar association must wean themselves from their unhealthy tolerance of Yahya Jammeh and his governments abrogation of the rights of the Gambian people. If the US government can put together a 15 page document detailing what is rotten with this government , you the good sons and daugthers of Gambia who by dint of your profession have chosen to be officers have to stand up for what is right. You owe it to yourselves, your profession and most of all the country you live in and one you hope to bequeath to future generations. Your tack so far has enabled a third rate tyrant like Yahya Jammeh to literally enslave a good and proud people. Karamba ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html ----------------------------------------------------------------------------