A quick glance at the website of the Bar Association of Seychelles ("BAS") will reveal that they have put up a notice on their homepage warning the public against false lawyers and law firms. It has been a while now since a small number of individuals and organizations have been calling themselves lawyers or law firms when they are not one. The relevant authorities have done little or nothing to address the situation. As a result, more individuals and organizations have become even more ambitious and are marketing themselves as lawyers or law firms and are in fact providing legal services in contempt of the law.
The problem is compounded when these individuals give erroneous legal advice. Many, if not all of these false lawyers have not undergone pupilage as prescribed by law and as such are pretty clueless about Seychelles law, often assuming that the law that they learned through their English or Australian law degree is valid in Seychelles. Things are even more worrying when they are clearly giving wrong advice to big clients, such as multinational banks or companies, on deals worth millions of dollars.
The Bar Association of Seychelles has a complete list of Attorneys-at-Law and Notaries. They also have a complete list of Seychelles Law Firms. They are urging members of the public who deal with any person or organization not on their list to report them or query their status to the Bar Association, the Seychelles Licensing Authority and the Judiciary.
The website of the Seychelles Legal Environment also maintains its own list of Attorneys-at-Law and Law Firms. Lists which mirrors that of the Bar Association.
The Robing Room is the official blog of the Seychelles Legal Environment Website (sites.google.com/site/theseychelleslegalenvironment), the only website about the Seychelles Legal Environment that is constantly updated.
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