15.1.2 Advice and representation from the council's Legal Services department
-
Advice and representation obtained from in-house lawyers is professional, independent and objective.
-
In-house lawyers, including those in the Legal Services department and the General Counsel, are bound by the rules of professional conduct for lawyers when providing legal advice or representing the council [1]. These professional obligations require in-house lawyers to (among other things):
-
Exercise independent professional judgement on the council’s behalf, and give objective advice to the council based on the lawyer’s understanding of the law [2] and
-
Within the bounds of the law and their professional obligations, protect and promote the interests of the council to the exclusion of the interests of others [3].
-