The Minister of Justice, Lúcia Lobato received, at the end of September, the visit of the President of the Bar Association of Portugal, António Marinho Pinto.

Lúcia Lobato said that the Chairman of the Bar Association of Portugal made this official visit to Timor-Leste as a response to her invitation, in order to create a partnership between the Government of Timor-Leste and the Bar Association of Portugal.

According to the Minister, the Bar Association should be founded on law, because the Legal Regime of Private Law and the Lawyers Training that is in effect now, allows the Government, through the Ministry of Justice, to begin preparing an independent body of lawyers in Timor-Leste. For this, the ministry should have a technical partner in order to administer the program, Lúcia Lobato said.

The Minister added that Portugal, through its Bar Association, will provide only technical support, the cost being borne by the Government of Timor-Leste.

At this point, the first group of Timor-Leste lawyers is to attend training in the Judicial Training Centre in Dili, with plans for an early completion.