Over 100 Christian lawyers attend New Legal Year special service at St Thomas’ Cathedral

KUCHING (Jan 13): Some 100 Christian lawyers from across Kuching gathered at the St Thomas’ Cathedral for a special service to mark the opening of the New Legal Year 2024.

The one-hour ceremony was blessed with fine weather and commenced at 8am sharp, with lawyers adorned in their black robes and court attire.

Revd Dato Bong Ah Loi celebrated the mass and oversaw the first and second readings conducted by Datuk Lee Heng Cheong and Kuching High Court Justice Leonard Shim respectively.

The sermon was delivered by the Bishop of the Anglican Church in Sarawak and Brunei, the Rt Revd Datuk Danald Jute.

The event concluded with the recitation of the Act of Commitment, led by Kota Sentosa assemblyman Wilfred Yap.

Speaking to reporters after the service, Bong said this was the third time such a service was held.

“The actual purpose of the opening of the New Legal Year is to look at the importance and roles of lawyers in implementing the law. We would like lawyers to understand their vital role as agents contributing towards justice in the land.

“We use this in the church context of using the word of God to remind them of the roles they play in society, ultimately contributing to better justice in our land,” he said.