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KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 15 — The Malaysian Bar today said it supports the implementation of the Common Bar Course (CBC) as the single entry point for all law graduates into the legal profession, replacing the current Certificate of Legal Practice (CLP).
Reacting to de facto Law Minister Datuk Liew Vui Keong’s statement that the government was considering replacing the CLP exam with the CBC, Malaysian Bar president George Varughese said the CLP does not adequately provide the necessary knowledge and practical skills.
“The Malaysian Bar has, for over two decades, been advocating the implementation of the CBC as the single entry point for all law graduates (both local and foreign) into the legal profession, and the final arbiter of quality for new entrants to the legal profession.
“We look forward to the implementation of the CBC soon, and will play our role in facilitating a smooth transition as well as the effective conduct of the CBC, bearing in mind the best interests of the public and the legal profession in Malaysia,” he said in a statement.
Varughese added that the objective of the CBC was to raise the standards of the provision of legal services, ensuring that all individuals seeking to enter the legal profession were subject to uniform standards of knowledge and skills, regardless of the origin of their undergraduate legal qualifications.
“The CBC would focus, in particular, on the practical skills that need to be developed during the period of pupillage.
“It is during pupillage that all persons seeking admission as advocates and solicitors of the High Court in Malaya will be required to undergo regular, supervised training and assessments that will be developed by the Legal Profession Qualifying Board, working hand in hand with the Bar Council.
“This will ensure that all pupils in chambers, regardless of their law firm, location, prior education or other factors, will have access to similar standards of training,” he said.
However, he said the emphasis of the CBC should not be primarily on examinations alone.
He said the CBC should be outcome-driven and focus on the development of critical skills, including those relating to advocacy, legal procedure in civil as well as criminal matters, arbitration and mediation, negotiation, and the management of the operations of a law firm.
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