WHAT GOES UP MUST COME DOWN?

When relating this scientific principle to the petrol prices in Malaysia, I am skeptical. My brain said it made economic sense to raise the prices of petrol but my heart (and pocket) rebelled against the idea of having to pay RM0.78 more per liter. The world oil prices are at a record high, therefore we ought to pay more. Right! Gold prices recently hit a record high but there was hardly a murmur from the public at large as it was accepted that when gold prices are high, the consumer pays more or goes without. Gold and oil? Apples and oranges? The fact that oil is an essential item and gold is not is debatable.

For this write up, I will argue from the premise that oil is an essential item because most lawyers hire runners to dispatch documents, drive to work and to the courts be it, local or outstation.

So the petrol prices and now the soon to be increased electricity tariffs will definitely impact the costs of running legal firms. The simple solution will be to pass on the rise in price to the clients but in reality we need to take stock of how we can reduce the consumption of petrol and electricity. It is not just an economic issue, it is also a pressing environmental issue. It is our social and moral obligation to conserve this precious resource.

As I sat in the queue to the petrol station on 4.6.2008, I thought long and hard about how to help my firm to ride out the inevitable impact this price hike will have which also led me to the realization that a lot of the steps are very environmentally friendly and good practice. The following are some of my thoughts:-

The use of emails in lieu of dispatched letters/ circulars. Most junior lawyers and a lot of the senior lawyers are internet savvy but the advent of email has not yet been exploited to its full potential in the legal field in Ipoh.

Collect a few documents to be dispatched in the same place and divide the cost by those numbers of files.

Turning off the computers when not in use.

Turning off the lights and air conditioners when not in use. Using more energy efficient appliances.

Recycle – most legal firm’s biggest expense is the paper. Once the paper has been discarded, sell it to the scrap dealer who will pass it on the recycling plant.

Petition the Perak Bar Committee to explore the possibility with the Courts that legal firms be allowed to file certain court documents, especially exhibits, with the current parameters and specifications but printed on both sides of the paper instead of a single side.

Establish a forum where court going lawyers could notify other lawyers of any outstation travel for the purposes of car pooling. (This is an ambitious step but something to think about.)

This was to start the ball rolling. I am happy to hear from anyone with any better or novel ideas. Six hundred and forty two heads are better than one.

Submitted by Navit Kaur