The Tanganyika Law Society Advocates has allowed lawyers to advertise while at the same time regulating the manner and media through which they do it.
The bar association said that the absence of restrictive rules had enhanced unethical conduct among some lawyers.
Kenyan lawyers earlier this year passed the Law Society of Kenya Marketing and Advertising Regulations 2014 allowing them to advertise their services in the print media.
Tanzanian lawyers can now advertise their services, after a review of their rules — a move likely to increase competition in the country’s legal sector.
The bar association of Tanzania Mainland has allowed lawyers to advertise while at the same time regulating the manner and media through which they do it.
The Tanganyika Law Society Advocates (Professional Conduct and Etiquette) Rules, made under the Advocates Act, will also be used to regulate the conduct of advocates who have been operating largely unregulated.
“An advocate may advertise legal services to the general public, subject to the regulations and rules of the Society on such matters,” says rule 128.
Tangayika Law Society president Charles Rwechungura said that the absence of restrictive rules had enhanced unethical conduct among some lawyers.
He said the new rules will regulate the nature of advertising. Rules 129 and 130 define the parameters in which an advocate can advertise their services. Kenyan lawyers earlier this year passed the Law Society of Kenya Marketing and Advertising Regulations 2014 allowing them to advertise their services in the print media.
Under the Advocates Act, Ugandan lawyers are not allowed to advertise, but there is a pending constitutional petition filed by a former presidential adviser Fox Odoi, asking the Constitutional Court to lift the advertising ban.
Rwandan advocates are partly restricted from advertising by Article 51 of the law establishing the Bar Association of Rwanda, which says, “An Advocate shall be prohibited to use any means of advertisement except those which are strictly necessary for public information.”
The bar associations of the East African Community member countries are united under their umbrella organisation, the East Africa Law Society.
Last year, they met in Dodoma and discussed modalities of allowing cross-border legal practice, where it was agreed that the rules first have to be harmonised.
Currently, an advocate from an EAC partner state and Zanzibar is allowed to practise in Tanzania mainland only after obtaining approval from the Chief Justice to appear and defend a particular case.
