Attorney General Anil Nandlall has issued a stern warning to individuals offering legal services without proper legal training, stating that they could soon face penalties for their actions. During his weekly program, “Issues in the News,” Nandlall described these actions as fraudulent and emphasized the risks posed to lives and properties.
He urged for an end to the practice of unqualified individuals performing legal functions, including roles such as Justices of the Peace and Commissioners of Oaths of Affidavits. “We have to take action against touts—people who are not qualified as lawyers but are performing legal functions,” he stated.
Nandlall clarified that the intention behind this initiative is not to deny anyone a source of income but to bring structure and order to the legal profession. He expressed concern that untrained individuals providing legal advice and preparing legal documents are exploiting people, potentially jeopardizing their financial security. “They cause those people to lose their properties, lose millions of dollars because work is not done in accordance with the law, and we cannot continue in a society that allows such fraudulent pretenses to take place,” he remarked.
As part of a broader effort to organize the legal profession, Nandlall proposed implementing a transparent system to ensure discipline and impose appropriate sanctions on those found culpable. He emphasized the need for collaboration between his office and legal professionals to streamline practices in the sector.
“There are a lot of things that have to be reviewed. I don’t want the legal profession to get defensive and critical of me. I am working with you to better the profession, and I hope you will be the driving force in pushing these changes forward,” Nandlall stated.
His comments come in response to numerous complaints about untrained individuals providing legal advice while touting around legal chambers in the city, highlighting the urgent need for reform in the profession.
