On 6 July 2016, Antje Kunst from Bretton Woods Law provided a lecture to a delegation of the Vietnamese bar federation during a study trip organized by the German Federal Bar and the Foundation for International Legal Cooperation (IRZ).
The German Federal Bar (Bundesrechtsanwaltskammer) is the umbrella organization of the 28 regional Bars in Germany (Rechtsanwaltskammern) and safeguards the professional interests of all lawyers in Germany at a federal, European and international level.
The delegation consisted of the vice-president of the Vietnam Bar Federation and vice-presidents of several regional bar associations in Vietnam.
Antje provided a lecture on risks and threats of corruption and the legal profession setting out inter alia the results of the IBA OECD and UNODC survey of 2010 in this area. She explained international anti-corruption instruments such as UNCAC, its implementation review process and requirements on preventive measures and criminal sanctions. She elaborated on the IBA international principles on conduct for the legal profession of 2011, i.e. independence, integrity, avoidance of conflicts of interest and confidentiality/professional secrecy. She discussed with her Vietnamese colleagues specific corruption risks for the legal profession such as the attorney-client privilege and the instruction of lawyers as intermediaries or agents (especially in international business transactions).
She highlighted the role of the legal profession can play in the international fight against corruption referring to the IBA Anti-Corruption Guidance for Bar Associations: Creating, Developing and Promoting Anti-Corruption Initiatives for the Legal Profession. Her Vietnamese colleagues provided interesting insights on corruption in the justice sector, the national anti-corruption legislation, projects and efforts to curb corruption including in the legal profession and the challenges faced.