| Author: | Wong, Wan-ming Rosa |
| Title: | Ethics among solicitors in Hong Kong |
| Degree: | M.B.A. |
| Year: | 2001 |
| Subject: | Hong Kong Polytechnic University -- Dissertations Lawyers -- China -- Hong Kong Professional ethics -- China -- Hong Kong |
| Department: | Department of Management |
| Pages: | vi, 70 leaves ; 30 cm |
| Language: | English |
| Abstract: | The growing consumer awareness and knowledgeability have resulted in increasing challenge to the professionalism and deference the legal profession commands. As fee-cutting intensifies in a bid to out-compete fellow practitioners in professional costs, the quality and ethical standards of lawyers have attracted concern within the legal community as well as among members of the public at large. Solicitors constitute the more visible branch of the legal profession because of their direct contact with lay clients and third parties and as such are more susceptible to the adverse comments made of the legal profession. "Ethics" refers to "the principles of conduct governing an individual or a profession". Ethical conducts of solicitors are therefore those complying with principles of conduct laid down by the Law Society of Hong Kong as the body regulating the conduct of its members. They are very much the results of discipline either by the individual practitioners exercising conscientiousness or by the professional association enforcing regulation with vigor. Whilst individual conscientiousness is difficult to monitor, the efforts of the Law Society are comparatively easy to trace and reinforce and possible improvements of Law Society regulatory procedures should serve as a useful starting point to alleviate ethical problems. This study sets out to explore whether regulation of solicitors by the Law Society (limited to the aspect of handling complaints made against solicitors) falls short of expectation so that the average user of legal services may come to the impression that the profession only looks after its own interest but is not taking ethical problems seriously. It is found that there is the appearance of the Law Society regulating according to its own agenda although various reasons may account for the apparent bias. Recommendations are proposed in the hope that perception of ethical conduct of solicitors can be improved and ethical problems can be prevented in the long run. |
| Rights: | All rights reserved |
| Access: | restricted access |
Files in This Item:
| File | Description | Size | Format | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| b16116318.pdf | For All Users (off-campus access for PolyU Staff & Students only) | 2.25 MB | Adobe PDF | View/Open |
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