John Smith is the Minister of Justice and Attorney-General. He is a very powerful man but also a very difficult one. Unfortunately, he has been given the responsibility for reforming the legal profession. In recent days he has made the following statements:
“It doesn’t matter what the public think of lawyers, as long as lawyers know that they are doing a good job.”
“The history of our legal profession is completely irrelevant to understanding the current profession.’
“Technology is overrated in the legal profession. In fact, we should ditch modern technology and go back to pens and typewriters.”
The New Zealand Law Society (NZLS) is very worried about these statements and what it might mean for the proposed reforms. You are an expert specialising in all aspects of the legal profession. The NZLS would like you to write an essay rebutting the three statements made by the Minister. You need to provide convincing arguments as to why each statement is incorrect.