Cambodia Needs More Lawyers

BY BUTH REAKSMEY KONGKEA

Cambodia faces a shortage of lawyers with the qualifications and experience necessary to uphold the Rule of Law, according to Ang Vong Wathana, Minister of Justice.

The Minister told the Cambodia Weekly during a telephone interview on October 27 that his ministry will continue to cooperate closely with the Bar Association of the Kingdom of Cambodia to train new lawyers to respond to the needs of people in Cambodia.

Due to progress, human resource development and increasing foreign investment, Cambodia currently needs more than 1,000 qualified lawyers, if the entire population is to have access to impartial justice, said the Minister.

Ky Tech, President of the Cambodian Bar Association, agreed with these figures, and the necessity to redress the imbalance.

Ky Tech, who has been practicing the law since 1998, has served the Cambodian Bar Association as President over two mandates. He said that currently there are 616 lawyers operating in Cambodia.

“Looking at Cambodian population statistics, the current number of lawyers is insufficient to meet the needs of our country. We are short of about 1,000 lawyers.” he said. He went on to say that the number of lawyers would probably suffice, given that currently recourse to the law is not seen as an effective way to settle disputes. However, this situation would change as development and investment assumed greater importance.

He also noted that each new generation of lawyers would conform to international standards in terms of training and qualification.

“Now, our Cambodian lawyers are stepping ahead and reaching international standards. They are very skillful, talented and can offer the same services as those of developed nations,” he told the Cambodia Weekly by telephone on October 28.


The President added, “I hope that they will perform their duties well to help the people and to strengthen the ‘Rule of Law’ in the Kingdom of Cambodia.”

Ang Eng Thong, Director of the Center for Legal Training and Professional Development said that since the establishment of the center in 2002, 280 lawyers have been trained, including 100 female lawyers. The Director said that for this study year, a total of 34 lawyers have graduated and will apply for further study with the establishment.

To enhance the qualifications of Cambodian lawyers, the lawyer center has invited visiting professors well-known in the United Sates, Canada, France and Japan for teaching said Eng Thong. He noted that the majority of the law courses were conducted in English so as to improve not only their legal knowledge but also their language abilities. His graduates are now working and serving as high officials in ministries, the National Assembly and the Senate of Cambodia.

Other lawyers have also found employment as law consultants for Non-Government Organization (NGOs), International Organizations (IOs), local and international companies in the Kingdom of Cambodia, according to Eng Thong.

Peung Yokheap, Executive Director of Legal Aid Cambodia (LAC), a local NGO established in 1995 that works to defend human rights, said that Cambodia really needs more lawyers to help the poorer sectors of the community.

“I have noted that most lawyers prefer to work with private companies in Phnom Penh and other developing areas because they can make good money for their families. Thus, we lack lawyers to help those who can’t afford legal fees,” she said.

Yokheap continued, “I think that to help disadvantaged people, the Bar Association should train more Cambodian lawyers to help them in future.”

She said that currently, LAC is working in ten provinces across the country, and has employed a total of 33 lawyers.

Khuon Son Muchhim, Attorney-At-Law with the Khmer Law Office & Associates, said he has been working as lawyer since 2002, working on more than 18 cases involving civil and criminal issues.

He said that most of his clients were business people, representatives from national and international NGOs who hire him to examine contractual issues or real estate documents to check and verify their legality.

“I think that the law is good work for me. It is busy work but I like it because I can earn more income for my family,” he told the Cambodia Weekly. He hinted that he could earn around $1,500 to $ 2,000 per month from his legal consultancy and services.