LETTER | Allow overseas law graduates to sit for CLP based on LLB degrees

LETTER | All law graduates who graduated from recognised overseas/private Universities should be allowed to sit for the Legal Practice (CLP) exam based solely on their LLB degrees, in particular Mature Students / Candidates.

Do away with pre-degree requirements which are irrelevant for the CLP exam. A potential CLP candidate may have a different set of secondary school leaving certificates which may not be recognised as equivalent to the SPM and STPM qualifications by the Legal Profession Qualifying Board of Malaysia (LPQB) (for eg, the UK LCCI and Australian Year 12).

However, this does not mean that they are not qualified to sit for the CLP exam. Hence, a recognised overseas qualifying law degree alone should be sufficient to take on the legal practice (CLP) exam.

CLP exams should be made available to any Malaysian with recognised overseas law degree who intends and/or decides to practice law in Malaysia regardless of their secondary education background. Be fair to all law graduates who obtain their law degrees from recognised foreign universities.

To disallow a qualified law graduate to sit for the CLP exam is also an infringement of his or her right to continue their legal education. “…it becomes a human rights issue when someone studies law but doesn’t have the chance to sit for the (CLP) examination…it puts you back to square one; your right to a livelihood is affected, and your window to qualify as a lawyer and practice for a living is prolonged, which is a sad infringement of their rights…” (Mah Weng Kwai, Malaysian Human Rights Commission (Suhakam) commissioner – theSun, Sept 15, 2021).

To our country’s prime minister and attorney-general who is also the chairperson of the Legal Profession Qualifying Board (LPQB), and to the director of the CLP exam and the president of the Malaysian Bar, please do take note and look into this, be considerate, and compassionate.

Please look at the bigger picture. Let all overseas law graduates sit for the CLP exam based solely on their LLB degrees. They too can contribute much to the development of their beloved country Malaysia as advocates and solicitors.

So, please be fair, just, and reasonable; do not deny them the opportunity to continue their legal education and pursue their passions and aspirations to practice law in their own home country Malaysia.

Please let them sit for the CLP exam based solely on their LLB degrees and do away with irrelevant criteria. LPQB, please amend the rules. Thank you.

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