“…Many a lawyer will dispute this analogy with science. “I am only concerned,” he will say, “with the law as it is, not with what it ought to be.” For him the rule is the thing.Right or wrong does not matter.That approach is all very well for the working lawyer who applies the law as a working mason lays bricks, without responsibility for the building he is making.But it is not good enough for the lawyer who is concerned with his responsibility to the community at large.He should ever seek to do his part to see that the principles of the law are consonant with justice…The law must be certain.Yes, as certain as may be.But it must be just too.
I am a lawyer myself and I hope that in what I have to say I will not bite the hand that fed me; for with Lord Bacon, I hold every man a debtor to his profession.”

The above statement was quoted from Lord Denning in his book, “The Discipline of the Law“.It was higlighted by Mr Ravi in Land Law class today.According to him, we sometimes in the reality of life forget the reason why we study and practice the law.

The sudden discussion on that topic prompted me to reflect back on the reason why I took up law.Surprisingly, I cannot remember it as clearly as before.It took me quite some times to recall back the drive and passion which I used to had.

3 years ago, when I first started this course, I like everyone else were enthusiatic about dedicating 5 years of our life to become a ‘law-slave’.At that time, I did not mind the long period of time and the hardship I might endure in fulfilling my dreams.Despite objection from certain family members and people I know, I was determined to prove it to them that i can do it, that i can overcome the obstacles and ending up becoming a great lawyer as I always wanted to.

That’s why I kept telling myself that i could not quit as giving up would reflect my weakness in coping with pressure.The expectation from the people I loved made me more determined to achieve the impossible.

But as the time passed by, the passion I used to have in me started to fade away.Blinded by the hunger to please others and the continuing ‘kiasuism’, I study with only one thing in my mind which is to ace the exams so that I can changed their perception on me.

What Lord Denning said is indeed true, we see the law as it ought to be, not with the law as it is.We tends to forget the responsibility that comes with it.As they always said, great power comes with great responsibility!

It make me realized that i should not study the law for the sake of studying but explore what law is all about.It also reminded me that I’m doing it for myself, not for others.No matter what happen, it’s my life, not theirs.

Suddenly, I remembered well why i took up law…