Lawyers working regularly in court should be vaccinated along with court employees because they share the same elevated risk of contracting COVID-19, the Chamber of Advocates has said.

It noted union claims that court staff are to be called for the COVID-19 vaccine within the next fortnight.

The chamber requested that the health and justice authorities treat lawyers in the same way as court personnel and members of the judiciary, who are "better protected" than lawyers because of protective screens erected in court halls.  

A spokesperson for the chamber said it is unacceptable that members of the legal profession, who are exposed to the same, "if not higher", risks than those of court personnel, are treated differently.

"It is just as unacceptable that rather than allow common sense to dictate matters and treat equivalent situations equally, those who make more noise are listened to first," he said.

"This only militates towards motivating people to make more noise rather than deal with matters maturely".