Lawyers will receive training on the emotional and psychological effects of gender-based violence and the impact of referrals on children.

“Lawyers work in a very dynamic environment where human contact is highly personal," the president of the Chamber of Advocates Louis de Gabriele said ahead of a seminar to be held on December 5.

Most lawyers become their clients' confidants especially when it comes to personal and familial matters and therefore need to be equipped with the right training and capabilities on how to approach and deal with human cases, especially with such a delicate issue as abuse, he said.

Dr de Gabriele was reacting to Magistrate Joe Mifsud’s recent observation that lawyers should be given fresh training to deal with domestic violence cases.

On November 19, a court heard how a young man sent anonymous messages and letter to his own partner as part of a ploy to get her to move in with him.

Defence counsel David Gatt made a request for bail, claiming it was "simply a love trick".

Dr de Gabriele said the chamber was fully aware of the challenges and how important it was for lawyers to have more awareness of social cases, in order to be able to handle clients with particular problems.

The chamber has been working closely with the Commission on Domestic Violence and announced a seminar for lawyers to discuss the implications involved when dealing with cases of domestic and gender-based violence.

The seminar will be held at the chamber's conference hall within the Courts of Justice between 2pm and 4pm.

It will be addressed by Appoġġ Leader of Domestic Violence Services Maria Mangion, Managing Psychologist at Mental Health Services Joan Camilleri, and Head of Department in the Faculty of Social Wellbeing at the University of Malta Clarissa Sammut Scerri.

The training focus will be on the work of the lawyer, particularly when representing a client who has been abused.

The first part of the training will discuss the emotional and psychological impact of gender-based violence as well as domestic violence on the victims. The second part will discuss the experience of the child and the impact of referral to caring professionals on the line of defence.

The event is free of charge but those interested need to register by sending an email to events@avukati.org