14.10.2022
AVVIŻ TAL-KAMRA TAL-AVUKATI
Il-Kamra tal-Avukati tirreferi għad-diversi tentattivi li għamlet tul l-aħħar snin biex jiġu riveduti t-tariffi ta’ drittijiet, propju arkajiċi li hemm fit-Tariffa E tal-Kodiċi tal-Organizazzjoni u l-Proċedura Ċivili, Kap. 12 tal-Liġijiet ta’ Malta, f’dak li jirrigwarda l-ħlasijiet professjonali t’avukat u n-nuqqas da parti tal-awtoritajiet kompetenti li jirrevedu tali Tariffa. F’ dan il-kuntest il-Kamra tirrefri lill- membri tal-professjoni propju għad-dispozizzjoniet tal-Artikolu 47(a) tat-Tariffa E tal-Kodiċi tal-Organizazzjoni u l-Proċedura Ċivili, Kap. 12 tal-Liġijiet ta’ Malta.
Bis-saħħa ta’ dan l-artikolu, ħlief għal dak stabbilit fil-paragrafi (b) u (c) tal-istess artikolu 47, avukat huwa liberu li jistabilixxi, bi qbil mal-klijent tiegħu u mingħajr ebda riferenza għal kumplament tat-Tariffa E tal-Kodiċi tal-Organizazzjoni u l-Proċedura Ċivili, Kap. 12 tal-Liġijiet ta’ Malta, il-ħlas tiegħu awtonomament, billi jiġi stabbilit id-dritt mifthiem jew billi jigi stabbilit il-bazi li fuqha ser jiġi stabbilit tali dritt, basta ma tkunx xi bazi li tmur kontra l-liġi, bħal per ezempju quotae litis.
Biex tali ftehim ikun jorbot għandu jkun bil-miktub.
Il-Kamra tfakkar illi il-mod ta’ kif avukat għandu jitħallas drittijiet għas-servizzi professjonali tiegħu hija materja regolata wkoll mill-Kodiċi tal-Etika, speċifikament Kapitolu IV tat-Tieni Taqsima. Għalhekk kull avukat huwa marbut illi d-drittijiet tiegħu ikunu raġonevoli fil-kuntest tas-servizz li hu jkun qiegħed jippresta, tenut kont taċ-ċirkostanzi kollha tal-kaz.
Il-Kodiċi tal-Etika wkoll jagħti ndikazzjonijiet ċari ta’ x’imhuma l-fatturi li għandhom ikunu kunsidrati biex tiġi determinata r-raġonevolezza ta’ dritt, u dawn jinkludu s-segwenti:
a) Iz-zmien, il-kumplessità u noveltà tal-materja in kwistjoni u allura d-dedikazzjoni rikjesta mill-avukat biex jippresta s-servizz minnhu rikjest;
b) Ir-responsabbilita’ applikabbli;
c) Il-limitazzjonijiet imposti mill-klijent u/jew iċ-ċirkustanzi;
d) In-natura u t-tul tar-relazzjoni professjonali mal-klijent;
e) L-esperjenza, ir-reputazzjoni u l-hila ta’ l-avukat;
f) F’materja ta’ litigazzjoni, id-drittijiet li jistgħu jigu miġbura mill-parti l-oħra;
g) Il-probabilita’ li l-avukat minħabba dak l-inkarigu jkun mizmum milli jaccetta xi nkarigi ohra.
Il-Kamra tirrileva li din mhix lista ezawrjenti biex tiġi stabbilita r-raġonevolezza ta’ dritt. Il-Kumitat tal-Avukati u Prokuraturi għandu s-setgħa li jista jirrevedi dritt mifthiem bejn avukat u klijent tiegħu fejn dan mhux raġonevoli, u jista allura jieħu in kunsiderazzjoni fatturi oħra li fiċ-ċirkostanzi ta’ kaz partikolri jidhirlu lin jistgħu ikunu rilevanti.
Fil-kuntest ta’ dak indikat hawn fuq, il-Kamra qedgħa b’effett immedjat titira l-linji gwida minnha preċedentement pubblikati fir-rigward tad-drittijiet li għandhom jiġu imħallsa lill-Avukati għas-servizzi professjonali tagħhom, u tistieden lill-avukati biex b’mod raġonevoli javalixxu ruħhom mill-libertà kontrattwali li għandhom biex jiftehmu dwar ħlasijiet professjonali.
NOTICE BY THE CHAMBER OF ADVOCATES
The Chamber of Advocates refers to its various attempts over the past years to have the tariffs on fees set out in Tariff E of the Code of Organization and Civil Procedure, Chapter 12 of the Laws of Malta, with respect to the professional fees chargeable by advocates, and the failure by the competent authorities to effectively revise these archaic tariffs. In this context it refers members of the profession specifically to article 47(a) of Tariff E of the same code.
By virtue of the provisions of that article, save for what is set out in paragraphs (b) and (c) of article 47, an advocate is at liberty to establish, in agreement with the client and without any reference to the provisions of Tarff E of the Code of Organization and Civil procedure, the fees to be charged, by either establishing those fees outright or by agreeing on the basis upon which those fees will be established, provided that no such agreement may establish fees on a basis which is contrary to law, such as for instance quotae litis.
For any agreement to be binding it must be made in writing.
The Chamber wishes to bring to the attention of members of the legal profession that a lawyer’s fees for professional services are also regulated by the Code of Ethics and Conduct, specifically Chapter IV of Part Two of that code. Accordingly, all advocates are bound that any fees agreed with clients ought to be reasonable in the context of the services they are required to provide by the client, taking all relevant circumstances into account.
The Code also sets out a number of factors that are to be taken into account in establishing the reasonableness of fees, and these include the following:
a) the time required, the novelty and difficulty of the issues involved, and the dedication requisite to perform the legal service properly;
b) the responsibility undertaken;
c) the time limitations imposed by the client or the circumstances;
d) the nature and length of the professional relationship with the client;
e) the experience, reputation and ability of the advocate performing the services;
f) in litigation matters, the fees recoverable from the other party;
g) the likelihood that the acceptance of the particular brief will preclude the acceptance of other briefs by the advocate.
The Chamber would like to point out that this is not an exhaustive list of considerations in determining the reasnableness of fess. The Committee for Advocates and Legal Procurators has the power to review any fees agreed between an advocate and his/her client where the client complains about the reasonableness of the fees, and may accordingly take into accout in its assessment other factors which in the particular circumstances of the case it may consider to be relevant.
In the context of the foregoing, the Chamber is withdrawing with imediate effect the guidelines it had previously published with respect to fees chargeable by advocates for professional services, and invites all advocates to determine reasonable fees on the basis of a written agreement with their clients.
