Plea to offer needy pro-bono services
LEADING LAWYER MUSABBEH SAYS INITIATIVE IS IN LINE WITH HUMANITARIAN CHARACTER OF UAE SOCIETY, ASKS PEERS TO HELP POOR
We ought to be more generous in terms of educating the public via all possible means … and mainly those who require legal assistance at police stations ... and courts.” Ali Musabbeh | Lawyer
T he declaration of 2017 as the Year of Giving has come in for high praise by a renowned lawyer who invited his peers to volunteer by offering pro-bono services to needy litigants.
President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan’s initiative is not new to the UAE society and is a continuation of a legacy, the path of which was initiated by the founding father, the late Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, according to lawyer Ali Musabbeh. “Since it was founded, the UAE has constantly and will forever be among the top countries that spread and support philanthropic and charitable works without expecting any returns. Humanitarian work is a main characteristic of Emiratis and is considered a pillar of the UAE society,” Musabbeh told Gulf News in an interview.
“Every one of us has the capability and capacity to make a real difference in the lives of needy individuals around us. There are so many ways to give. We as lawyers and legal experts should constantly take the initiative and try not to be materialistic … and render free-of-charge legal consultations or represent clients whose financial situations do not allow them to afford court fees or hiring of lawyers. Actually, a lawyer’s job is something humanitarian before it being professional … and that is why providing assistance to needy litigants should be a priority in our profession,” he said.
Giving is not just limited to materialistic work, but it goes far beyond that concept, according to Musabbeh, who said: “Giving is a sacred path … serving the land and the people and sacrificing for the sake of spreading peace and safety are another form of giving. Giving always brings about positive changes and developments among members of the society and especially among the needy in the UAE and abroad.” Doing good is a religious ritual as much as it is an obligation in Islam, he added. “Nowadays it has become a national duty for every individual who is capable of giving to satisfy others and make changes to their lives,” he said.
Charitable contributions
Further, advocate Musabbeh called on individuals, public and private sectors, businessmen and self-employed professionals and everyone to contribute in all possible ways in charitable and humanitarian works, each according to his/her scope and expertise. “The UAE society and sons of Shaikh Zayed are no stranger to the act of giving … actually it is part of our nature and who we are. Giving is innate in us … our rulers, leaders and the people of the UAE. Our leaders have been constantly working on instilling the virtue of giving in our children and the future generations,” he said.
As a legal professional, Musabbeh called on his peers to contribute significantly to the initiative of giving.
“The least that we, lawyers and legal experts, could do is to spread judicial knowledge and legal awareness among the community. We are also invited to join hands with all types of media outlets and social media networks to protect the community in judicial matters.
“We ought to be more generous in terms of educating the public and the society via all possible means … and mainly those who require legal assistance at police stations, public prosecution departments and courts. Specifically, we have to provide such assistance to those who cannot afford to hire lawyers or pay legal fees,” said Musabbeh.
Through his law firm, Ali Musabbeh Advocates and Legal Consultants, Musabbeh said he constantly offers pro-bono services to litigants who cannot afford to hire lawyers or seek legal counsel.
“Years ago, I established a special section at my law firm whereby we render free legal services voluntarily to needy litigants. That section handles court cases and gives legal counselling to individuals who cannot afford to hire a lawyer due to their financial situations. Mainly, we offer such free-of-charge services to individuals involved in personal status and labour cases. Litigants who are involved in such cases are the most vulnerable in terms of income and financial capability to hire lawyers. Before we take up any case, my coworkers and I study the case file to ensure that our pro-bono services are being rendered to those who seriously need legal counselling and assistance. After reviewing those cases and if our inquiry proves that they do not meet up with our conditions, we provide them with one-time legal consultation for free. Whenever we are sure that the litigant is in need of us to represent him/her before the court, we do the required legal step to represent the person before the pertinent court until the final ruling comes out.”