The Public Attorney's Office (PAO) wishes to revise or delete a section of the new Code of Professional Responsibility and Accountability (CPRA) for lawyers.
This is to avoid a situation in which PAO's lawyers ostensibly represent opposing sides in a dispute.
PAO chief Persida Rueda-Acosta is afraid that this would lead to a conflict of interest among public defenders.
As a result, she is seeking a meeting with the Supreme Court's justices. To that end, Acosta submitted a letter to Supreme Court Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo.
The problem is specifically addressed in Section 22 of the code.
Acosta explained that appearing in a case pending in another jurisdiction would jeopardize their allocated cases and other public services requested by the district office.
The CPRA supersedes the country's 34-year-old Code of Professional Responsibility (CPR), which governed the conduct of lawyers.
Acosta also mentioned a logistical issue caused by the clause, stating that PAO will have to appoint a separate lawyer from another district.
Because of the restricted plantilla jobs at her office, she believes this situation will be challenging.
