Are lawyers liars? – When you run into a lawyer, the first thing that comes to mind is the question above. At some point, one may have even considered going into the profession but chose not to because they feel this is the case with persons in it.
A lawyer is a profession that is tasking and requires much work. It is not easy to become a lawyer, and it is not a day’s job. Because it involves being in public, there are specific standards that, if it is not met in the eye of the public, they term it as you being a quack lawyer, and then we come to the argument of lawyers lying.
However, through this article, we shall be unveiling various reasons why that is not the proper position and why the answer to the above question should be yes or otherwise.
Firstly, we shall be looking at the legal profession generally and why one should consider going into it if you are interested in the way. After that, we shall list ten (10) reasons to support whatever answer we will be giving to the subject matter above.
Want to know how whether or not lawyers are indeed liars? The best way to find that out is through this article, so sit back and quickly read through it.
Who Is A Lawyer?
A lawyer is any person involved in representing anyone, corporation, or association in court. He is also involved in handling legal issues for clients and drafting and signing legal documents.
As a lawyer, you will be required to engage in helping your client resolve issues that bother on legalities. That is when they are in trouble with the law, have properties to purchase, want to sign contracts, or enter into agreements.
Is It True That Lawyers Are Liars?
Over time, you may have heard the argument that lawyers lie a lot. This notion has been made out because people see how lawyers defend criminals who, in the eyes of everyone, are guilty, but lawyers end up getting them released.
These results coming times without numbers have made people doubt the honesty of lawyers in general, making it difficult for people to trust them and therefore question their integrity.
This has also made it less attractive to some persons who pursue a career in this profession, as they may feel less reluctant to do this with these allegations of dishonesty among lawyers.
However, lawyers are not in any way liars, and this is merely a misconception gotten from the fact that most people do not understand the way the law works.
Why Lawyers Are Not Liars
As we stated earlier, we shall show the ten (10) reasons why lawyers are not liars. These reasons will be well elaborated to ensure that you understand and come to believe us when we say that the answer to the above question is a big NO.
1. They tell the truth
It is more like a slap to the face for someone who staunchly believes in the above question. Imagine coming out to the general public and saying, ‘Listen up, and I want to say that lawyers are the most truthful people in the world; the reaction from the crowd alone would tell you that you are backing the wrong tree.
However, this is the reality – lawyers tell the truth. In the eyes of the ordinary man, the truth is either black or white, yes or no. There is no room for grey areas in their eyes. They believe that when a man is said to be guilty, he is guilty, irrespective of whatever anyone wants to believe.
This is why it is difficult to convince such a man that his beliefs or discoveries are wrong because he has so much faith in them that he would not part from them. Moreover, when a lawyer comes around to tell him this is not the case, he finds it hard to believe.
However, the reality remains that lawyers tell the truth because they must find the truth and expose it. The truth might not always be what you see or are told.
For instance, when it is reported that a man killed his wife, what the general public sees is a murderer, and he should face the severest punishment available. However, because a lawyer would be slow to pass judgment without relying on evidence, people term them liars.
A lawyer would set out to unveil the truth because he has the skill and the duty to do so. It is apologetic that the truth may not be what you want to see, but in the end, it also means that he is not telling lies or supporting a lie.
2. They fight for justice
Put – a man who fights for justice cannot be a liar. One of the first duties of a lawyer is to uphold the cause of justice because, through it, society obtains a level of stability.
Justice involves ensuring that each man gets what he is due. It is the reward system for both good and evil in the eyes of the court. Moreover, when a man is denied his right, he comes before the court for justice to be done in his matter.
Often, it is argued that lawyers are liars because they stand in the way of justice by denying individuals what is due to them. It is one of the reasons why people feel that lawyers lie a lot.
This is not the case, as someone who stands in the position of upholding justice is ordinarily expected to tell the truth. The position of a lawyer is noble enough that he is expected to use his position to ensure that justice is done at all times.
The duty comes with the assurance that such a lawyer in this position would not be dishonest or shy away from the truth. Being in such a position, you cannot tell a lie even if you want to.
3. They uphold the law
From your undergraduate days to your law school period, and finally, when you are inducted to practice as a lawyer, you are taught to uphold the law and the rule of law.
The rule of law is that the law is supreme over and above every individual or government. This principle ensures that whatever you do as a lawyer is within the confines of the law.
Your country has a constitution, and as a lawyer, whatever you do about your job must be done within the confines of the constitution. You cannot go outside the constitution to defend or aid a client.
This is because, as a law that guides human conduct in society, it is deemed perfect and infallible, and as such, it should be adhered to strictly, without any addition or subtraction.
A liar is someone who is not truthful or honest. When you have sworn to uphold the law and end up doing that, there is no chance of being dishonest.
When you choose to help a client, one of the first things you look out for is whether or not whatever he wants is legal. If it is not, you are not supposed to undertake the responsibility of representing him anymore. Having said this, you cannot categorically say that a lawyer is a liar.
4. They are professionally disciplined
The duties of being a lawyer end up making you a professional who is disciplined enough to shun any and every act that would demean the legal profession.
It is why you should understand that lawyers are not liars because lying puts a dent in the profession of a lawyer. Being disciplined entails that you have to act in a way or manner that is entirely different and standard in the eyes of any onlooker.
We live in a world that permits all sorts of vices and unhealthy behaviors. It is no secret that most people quickly turn to crime for financial benefits. Owing to this, such people engage in shady characters and live a life of deceit.
Such behavior is far from you as a lawyer who is professionally trained to be disciplined. It cannot even be remotely associated with you due to your training. Owing to this, you are the last person to be expected to behave this way by such training.
This is why it is implausible that you would be associated with dishonesty and lies after being trained and expected to live a life like this. Having assumed this role, by your training, it is doubtful that a lawyer would tell lies or be associated with actions that make him a liar.
5. They pursue the evidence
When a crime occurs, people tend to associate the suspect with the crime as though they must have committed it in the first place. For instance, when Cristiano Ronaldo was accused of rape, some people believed he must have committed the crime.
This was why when the court declared him free of charge, many people claimed the court was partial as they maintained he was guilty.
To some persons, the court was wrong to declare him free. To others, they might have the notion that his lawyers twisted the arm of the law to suit their clients, who are global figures. In both cases, that is not the truth.
A lawyer is trained to use his skills and knowledge to investigate and solve a crime. While the commoner sees a guilty party, a lawyer sees a suspect.
As a lawyer, you are meant to review the evidence available and those that may have been overlooked, and it would help you see things that no one had seen or could see.
The sad reality remains that when you see this evidence that does not go with what the public or commoner wants, you are tagged a liar. We are telling you today that a lawyer would have to make an argument based on the evidence before him, and it is this evidence truly determines whether or not his client is innocent.
Therefore, when his client, who is guilty in your eyes, is declared innocent, understand that the lawyer is not a liar but a man who must go beyond common sense to uphold the truth.
6. They are well-educated
Education frees the mind from ignorance. It is no secret that some of the people who tag lawyers as liars are doing this from a place of ignorance. If you are well educated, you would understand that a lawyer’s duties are such that he is not expected to tell lies but rather pursue the cause of justice at all times.
A lawyer is educated enough to understand what is required of him. He knows that, by his education, he is expected to be truthful. When influenced to be dishonest, he is well-schooled to know that society demands better from him.
Therefore, a man with such a level of education as a lawyer cannot ordinarily be associated with lying or dishonesty.
Also, a lawyer could be in a position where he is expected to impact knowledge on others by telling them the right thing to do and the wrong thing, which they do not have to do. Having such an essential role, lawyers are expected not to be dishonest or live a life associated with or based on lies.
7. They adhere to procedures in the rules of court
The court is where parties come to argue their matters and seek redress. To ensure that the matters that come before it are successfully argued, there are rules or procedures in place in these courts that ensure that justice is served.
These procedures and rules ensure that the court goes through the proper channels and procedures before reaching a judgment for the cause of justice. As a lawyer, you are bound to go through these rules and procedures in your defense of a client. When you go outside these rules, rest assured that you will not get the justice you seek as a lawyer.
As a lawyer who goes through these procedures and rules, how can it be said that you are a liar? How can it be said that a lawyer engaged in lying or dishonesty to represent his client when the rules would not even allow you to do that?
8. They are bound by the codes and ethics of the profession
Every profession is bound by rules and ethics that guide the profession. As a lawyer, the ethics that guide the profession are explicit about its provision on dishonesty. One of the reasons lawyers are not liars is because their codes of practicing their profession guide them against such practices.
It is interesting to note that while every country in the world has rules that guide the practice of lawyers, one similar thing among all is their stance on issues of dishonesty.
Aside from providing against lawyers living or practicing dishonesty in their profession, some rules and codes provide punishment for such actions. Some provide that when lawyers engage in such practices, they may be prohibited from practicing the profession for some time or indefinitely.
Whatever the case, when a lawyer engages in dishonest practices, he or she is only digging his own grave, as upon being caught, they face serious consequences. When this happens, they might end up not being a lawyer anymore. With this kind of scenario and much to lose, there is no way a lawyer stoop to the level of being dishonest.
9. By their profession, they cannot tell a lie
When you hear that lawyers are liars, you should first and foremost understand who a lawyer is. Knowing this would make you understand why this cannot be the case.
A lawyer is a disciple in the temple of justice. It means that his utmost duty is to ensure that justice is done. For justice to be done, lawyers must do all that is expected, including ensuring that the truth is objective and must be uncovered by the law.
Having all these in mind, as a lawyer, how can you even entertain the thought of being dishonest, or how can you blatantly accuse a lawyer of being a liar? The two cannot hold water in the case.
For a lawyer who understands the total weight of his profession, being dishonest is something that would be far away from you. Thus, it would help if you were quick to point this out to anyone looking to make remarks such as the subject matter.
10. By their position in society, they cannot tell a lie
Let me tell you a story that I witnessed. A few years ago, a family adopted a young girl who was an orphan. Despite having their children, they still felt the need to add this girl to their family. Everyone applauded them for this kind gesture and kept showering them with praise, but little did they know that the girl was being subjected to inhuman treatment in the house.
She was the one that washed all the clothes, washed the dishes, and did all the chores in the house. Whenever she did not do any of these correctly, she was severely beaten, and serious injuries were inflicted.
To top it off, she would only be allowed to eat when everyone had eaten, and the food was usually leftovers, or on some days, she would be asked to dig through the trash can for leftovers.
One day, a family relative who is a lawyer visited the family. Moreover, when he witnessed all these, he wasted no time calling the authorities’ attention. When I inquired about his reasons, he said, “anyone could pass by, and the public would not complain, but if a lawyer passes by and acts indifferent to this, then the society is really in trouble.”
That is why the role of a lawyer cannot be overemphasized, and most importantly, why he cannot tell a lie or be tagged a liar.
Conclusion
Well, I am sure you no longer believe in the fallacy that lawyers are liars or engage in such an argument. The essence of this article was to enlighten you, and I am confident that we have done that already.
