The government has finally answered calls by younger lawyers to amend two controversial clauses in the Legal Profession Act (LPA) 1976 which are said to be discriminatory to them - the number of years required for them to be in practise and the 'unfair' quorum requirement to conduct an annual general meeting of the Bar Council.

Under the amendment bill of the LPA tabled in the Dewan Rakyat today, section 46A (1)(a) of the LPA will be removed if the amendment is passed, paving the way for lawyers with less than seven years of practise to be eligible to run for Bar Council elections.

Another main proposed amendment in the bill is that the quorum for the Malaysian Bar - which represents some 12,000 lawyers in the country - to be able to conduct an AGM be fixed at 500 members, as opposed to the current one-fifth of its membership (approximately 2,400).

Other amendments proposed to the LPA include the change of name from 'Qualifying Board' to 'Legal Professional Qualifying Board' to reflect its specific functions and on matters pertaining to the disciplinary committee under the LPA.

Not politicians, unionists

The first reading of the bill was tabled by Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Mohd Nazri Abdul Aziz. The second and third readings of the bill are slated to be completed in this sitting which is scheduled to end on July 13.

Today's move is expected to be welcomed by lawyers campaigning for the removal of the 'years in practise' provision which prohibits these lawyers - usually referred to as 'young lawyers' - from contesting a seat on the 36-member Bar Council.

Section 46A also bars office bearers in political parties, members of Parliament, state assembly representatives and unionists from holding positions in the Bar Council. The government, however, has not committed to amending the provision to accommodate these persons.

On the quorum issue, the one-fifth requirement has been described as impractical and the cause for the repeated postponements of the Bar's AGM.