Charlatans punished

Con artists, who pose as lawyers or solicitors and claim to offer proper legal advice, will face a one-year prison term under a new law that is about to be introduced. “Currently, unqualified people who offer judicial or legal advice cannot be punished because they are not subject to the rules of the Order of Lawyers. The new statute guarantees that in every case in which judicial or legal advice is given, people are subject to ethical regulations,” declared Presidential Minister Morais Sarmento. Justice Minister Celeste Cardona said the new rules clarified the situation regarding charlatans who offer supposedly ‘expert’ legal advice. “This law rigorously and transparently outlines the sanctions set by the prosecutor and the consequences of improper behaviour,” she said.