When you act for members of a particular community with which you strongly identify or are a part of, it is wise to be mindful of the potential pressures you may feel to protect or serve the interests of that community. It can be very difficult to maintain your professional objectivity and independence in the face of community expectations that you will or should act in a particular way.

Your professional obligations to remain independent, take a forensic approach, and acquit your obligations to the court and to the administration of justice continue to exist, regardless of who your client is and your relationship to them.

The way in which you practise should not be contingent on your client’s attributes; the legal service you provide for a client who is part of your community should not differ from the service you provide for a client who is not a part of your community. Any external pressure, or internal desire, you feel to depart from acceptable professional standards is a reliable sign that your professional boundaries are at risk and that you need to take action to reset expectations.