Future law graduates are to retain their ‘doctor’ title, despite not doing a doctorate.
Speaking at a debate organised by the European Law Students’ Association, Parliamentary Secretary Owen Bonnici assured students they would still be awarded the coveted prefix even though they have not completed studies in line with the academic rank.
“Other students completing five-year courses, such as dentists, still style themselves as doctors. I have no problem with following this precedent,” he said, adding that the Attorney General was currently looking into the source of law on the matter.
Students raised concerns over the possible ‘demotion’ after the University of Malta announced it would be restructuring the law course.
The restructuring, which will bring the course in line with those offered at other EU institutions, has seen a revision of the entry requirements.
Law students will follow a four-year Bachelor of Laws course followed by an optional one-year Masters course. This means graduates will no longer receive an LLD.
It has not been established what letters will follow their name but they are likely to be LLM.
Dr Bonnici said he would be amending legislation to allow LLM graduates to obtain a warrant for legal practice.
Students opting for a Masters course will focus almost exclusively on practical work and still be handed the sought after ‘Dr’ prefix.
Abroad, after completing a Masters’ degree, students only become doctor of laws after pursuing an LLD, the law equivalent of a PhD (lasting four or more years).
It is not a doctorate that would be recognised by a foreign university
In previous years, however, Maltese law graduates have been awarded LLD despite not pursuing PhD-level studies.
Senior lecturer in civil law David Zammit said the title ‘Dr’ would now be considered “a professional doctorate rather than an academic one”.
“In the post-war years the doctor title shifted from being based solely on knowledge of civil and canon law to being also tied to the completion of a dissertation. Globally, the LLD title is normally given for PhD level studies.
“However, the case remains that before the course revision most students were not completing PhD level dissertations,” he said.
Dr Zammit, an expert in legal anthropology, explained that the term doctor empowered lawyers in terms of social status and also lent a degree of prestige to the bearer, which could also considered to be a form of “profes-sional capital”.
Both of these, he said, made the title highly desirable to law students.
Rueben Balzan, president of the chamber of advocates, said the title was not partic-ularly important.
He insisted the respect given to lawyers was earned through their conduct, adding that a legal warrant made a lawyer and not a prefix.
“The point is that people who have an LLD at the moment, like I do, do have a doctorate from the University of Malta but it is not a doctorate that would be recognised by a foreign university,” he said.
Asked if the decision to retain the title had pandered to students’ egos, Dr Balzan declined to comment, adding that he had no problem with the title being given.