Barrister takes aim at dishonest lawyers

Barrister Lloyd Mhishi has slammed the rampant abuse of trust funds, arguing that it is defiling Zimbabwe’s legal profession. This after the Law Society of Zimbabwe noted that nearly 700 lawyers have been under investigation since September. New Zimbabwe reports that about 100 lawyers are deregistered for misconduct annually, with most cases involving the abuse of trust funds. Mhishi’s recently published Being The Best Lawyer takes a deep dive against illicit practices by lawyers. ‘Trust funds embody the heart of the lawyer-client relationship. The whole essence of trust is epitomised with trust funds. The mishandling, misappropriation or embezzlement of funds entrusted with the lawyer, grossly violates that trust,’ he notes. The book also criticises the partisanship behaviour of lawyers.