Faced with the dysfunctions in judicial practices and in the functioning of courts and tribunals and the serious breaches of discipline, ethics and orthodoxy of the legal and judicial professions, the President of the Order of Lawyers of Mali, Ousmane Bouba TRAORE, came out of his silence to call to order. In a statement, the Mali Bar Association recalls that these dysfunctions have reached their climax, resulting in the recent outing of two magistrates on social networks and certain other justice actors who engage in unorthodox acts. . Faced with the situation, the Bar Association invited the authorities of the Transition to enforce order and discipline within the judicial family.
Communiqué
The Bar of Mali, with its long tradition of citizen watch, watchdog of human rights, and legal and judicial security notes with regret and not without bitterness the decay of our Justice, characterized by very serious dysfunctions in judicial practices and in the functioning of courts and tribunals. Serious breaches of discipline, ethics and orthodoxy of the legal and judicial professions. Confusion of all kinds, unfair competition, interventionism that undermines the foundations of justice, the foundation of the rule of law, pillar of democracy and citizen security. The deviation of the solemnity of justice at all levels.
The Bar recalls that these dysfunctions have reached their peak, resulting in the recent outing of two magistrates on social networks and certain other justice actors who engage in: Media contests; Questioning of the fundamental principles of the Republic and the rule of law; The questioning of the fundamental principles of the criminal trial.
The rebuilding of Mali, so much desired by the authorities of the transition, also and above all involves the renewal of justice, in which the lawyer is a major and essential player. Without strong and credible justice, there is no rule of law. It is no secret that all actors of justice are mostly discredited and rejected by the population. The grievances are many and varied: Corruption, preferential treatment, impunity, judicial slowness, abuse of power, extortion. This overwhelming observation does not honor the actors of justice that we are.
The priesthood linked to our professions imposes on us today a questioning without complacency, an in-depth examination of conscience, a general and irreversible change of behavior, a moral rearmament.
Justice is the only instrument of social, political, economic and administrative regulation, of which we are both actors and subjects.
At this historical period of our bruised homeland, we, actors of justice, have the absolute duty to reincarnate the values that are ours, to respond to the cries of helpless fellow citizens, to the persistent and well-founded appeal of history. This is why the Bar of Mali: Solemnly invites the Transitional Authorities to enforce order and discipline within the judicial family, which is however supposed to ensure its effectiveness in society; invites the Minister of Justice and Keeper of the Seals to seize this opportunity to organize the Estates General of Justice. The hour is serious, we must seize the present moment.
The President of the Mali Bar Association Ousmane Bouba TRAORE