VII - Relationship to the Court & Other Government Bodies

[Colt Daniels]

VII - Relationship to the Court & Other Government Bodies

1. In carrying out the legal profession, an attorney shall always protect the authority of the courts before which legal assistance is rendered and shall at all times express his or her due respect.
2. By his or her appearance before any court of law, an attorney shall always justify and maintain the understanding that he or she is a cooperator in law enforcement and in the protection of the fundamental rights of citizens and their justified interests.
3. The attorney's attitude before the courts and in submissions and speeches shall be as realistic and concise as possible, to a degree that will not damage the protection of the client's interests.
4. The length of submissions and speeches shall depend on the circumstances of a particular case, on its complexity, on the legal matter frequently or seldom occurring in practice and on the extent to which legal and factual issues involved have been solved in legal practice and analyzed in legal writings.
5. An attorney shall exert maximum effort to ensure that his or her submissions and speeches are presented in a concise and eloquent manner and that they are clear and easy to understand.
6. When appearing before the courts, an attorney shall not make insulting statements or derogatory comments on the judge's decisions, and shall not impetuously and thoughtlessly challenge and make accusations against the judge or act in such a manner.
7. During litigation and until the final decision is rendered, an attorney shall not make statements and undertake other out-of-court activities by which he or she may, in an unpermitted way, influence the course and outcome of the proceedings.
8. An attorney shall advise the client to show due respect towards the courts.
9. An attorney shall offer determined resistance against every attempt to violate the rule of law and personal dignity, using only the permissible and correct means.
10. In order to offer a client expeditious legal protection at the lowest expense, an attorney shall avoid dragging out or misusing of any right in a lawsuit before the court.
11. An attorney shall try to ensure that both the attorney and the client conscientiously use the rights they are entitled to in the proceedings.
12. In principle, an attorney may speak with witnesses outside the court both before and in the course of the proceeding. The attorney is, however, obligated to speak with them in such a way as to avoid any influence on the witnesses.
13. The provisions of this canon on the relationship of an attorney towards the courts shall similarly be applied to the relationship of attorneys towards other government bodies, before which the attorney renders his or her legal assistance to the client.