Lawyers’ Day: ‘Residents more demanding about their rights’

Neto Valente (right)

Three days of activities devoted to Lawyers’ Day kicked off last Friday. The opening ceremony held at the Senado Square was attended by many of Macau’s lawyers.

The president of the Macau Lawyer Association (AAM), Jorge Neto Valente, said in his inaugural speech that the event invites the region’s lawyers to reflect on their responsibilities in society, especially ensuring that the Basic Law is protected under Macau’s legal system.

The celebrations, according to Jorge Neto Valente, deepen the public’s understanding of the roles of lawyers in Macau, and aim to attract more Macau residents to the profession.

“Our society has already reached a relatively sophisticated level, and the residents have gradually become more conscious and demanding about their rights,” said Valente.

He said Macau will soon need more lawyers, judges, and legal assistants, in addition to other types of legal professionals. This is a fundamental result of Macau’s economy opening to the outside world and increasingly participating in wider regional environments.

He added that this is also due to Macau being the platform between China and the Portuguese-speaking countries, at a time when China is implementing new Belt and Road policies.

Valente noted that Macau needs better arbitration to be a viable alternative in dispute resolution, especially between investors from mainland China and the Portuguese-speaking countries.

Currently, there are 354 registered lawyers and 127 intern lawyers in Macau, a 5 percent increase from last year.

While Valente believes that the city can attract more legal professionals, he said ensuring their caliber is “more important than [the ir] numbers.”

AAM recently accomplished two of its long-held goals: finishing discussions on the access regulations for lawyers in Macau, and passing final amendments to said regulations. Valente said the amended laws will be published in the city government’s official gazette soon.

At the beginning of the year, AAM contributed to the establishment of the Macau branch of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb).

AAM has supported the CIArb Macau branch in training arbitrators as well as other activities, according to Valente, and expects to continue backing the center’s operations.