The phenomenon of globalization, higher education reforms, Burundi’s membership to regional organizations and the proliferation of lawyers’ associations are the main factors that argue in favor of amending law n°1/014 of November 29, 2002 reforming the status of the lawyer’s profession. Those were the words of the Minister of Justice at the plenary session on Tuesday May 30, 2023, during the explanatory statement on the bill amending the status of the lawyer’s profession, which was passed unanimously.
Evolving science demands that we keep our knowledge up to date," said Domine Banyankimbona, as if to justify the ongoing professional training that is compulsory for all working lawyers.

Moreover, she added that Article 7 of the current law governing the lawyer’s profession allows only those holding at least a degree in law, from a Burundian university to become trainee lawyers. However, the transition from the system of (Bachelor, Master, PhD) to the system of (Bachelor, Master, PhD) has created a significant number of law graduates from Burundi’s various universities who want to take up a career as a lawyer. So, a judicial environment that responds to current realities is imperative, she deduced, before adding that Burundi’s integration into the East African Community (EAC) and other regional groupings requires cross-border mobility for lawyers to be a reality.

The bill under consideration, she said, introduced a mechanism for coordinating the different lawyers ‘associations by setting up a National Committee of Lawyers ‘Associations to deal with any disputes that may arise between attorneys from different associations, given that the bill under consideration provides for the possibility of creating several associations, whereas the current law has only two.

It has to be said that the adoption of this bill was the result of a long process due to abuse of language.

By way of example, a university teacher is mistaken for a professor, whereas this academic rank is attained by only a minority of people in the world.
Another example is the difference between dismissal and firing: a person is dismissed from a position governed by a statute, such as civil servants, members of the judiciary and men in uniform (defense and security), whereas anyone working in a state institution with a specific status governed by contracts, such as employee, is fired.