What are some major objections over the judiciary’s amendments of the rules government the Iranian Bar Association?
Shadi Sadr: The judiciary’s amendments fully erode the Iranian Bar Association’s independence. Lawyers, as professionals who are tasked to defend people’s rights, become a part of the system, and so obviously they must be worried about the revocation or renewal of their practice licenses if they want to do what they believe is right. According to the new provisions, the guidelines intervene in the private sphere and tell lawyers how to run their law offices. Especially with respect to women lawyers, they regulate how they must dress and behave in their law offices and how they have to receive clients. There are guidelines regulating all these things. They have also prepared a long list of violations that give the judiciary an excuse to intimidate lawyers whenever it wishes and eventually revoke their licenses. These guidelines were drafted and passed very quietly and using the election atmosphere when everyone was preoccupied with other issues. Rooz: Can the Bar Association ignore the
