Reading the report of the commission of inquiry on Sale by Levy takes us down memory lane. The president of this commission, Sir Victor Glover, seems not to have lost even an iota of the style with which he climbed the ladder to become a chief justice.

A highly cultured gentleman with a broad knowledge, a deep understanding of human nature and a sense of humour, which brought him the aura of respect he still enjoys. But those were the days. Sir Victor Glover belongs to another generation, to another Mauritius, which is perhaps forever lost.

Today, notaries, the Bar and the Supreme Court seem to have slipped down a dangerous path. Many ? in fact too many ? of these men in black robes who were once considered as men beyond suspicion have turned out to be usual suspects.

Making money and amassing big fortunes seem to be the name of the game.

And, if some of the allegations levelled against members of this profession ? notaries and lawyers mainly - turn out to be true, one must then conclude that Mauritian society has become too rotten to afford any kind of protection to the weak, the poor, the uneducated and the ill-informed mass.

Those who are supposed to protect the people and their interests in court, to protect their clients, when it comes to drafting contracts and deeds of sale as well as preventing them from being unlawfully and illegally dispossessed of their properties, seem to be of the same nature as the rascals and scoundrels preying upon the weak.

It is a matter of regret that Sir Victor Glover could not delve into the bank accounts of attorneys and notaries. But hopefully, this is a matter which the Independent Commission against Corruption would inquire into as Sir Victor Glover has referred some four cases to that commission.

But, be it as it may, Government should look into the world of notaries and attorneys as a matter of priority. Strong legislation and not just a code of ethics, is urgently needed to clean this sector. And government should also do its mea culpa and see to what extent it is responsible for such a situation.

The interview given by the Bar Council president, Sanjay Bhuckory last Saturday also shocked many naïve citizens. He puts it bluntly when he states that too many lawyers are ?trying at any cost to be in the good books of the executive and the judiciary? and that they are not ?acting as fearlessly as they should do?.

The president of the Bar Council has not however analysed or explained the reason behind such a shocking attitude. But many citizens have wrought their own idea of local justice and, using mostly false and unverified facts, have ascribed reasons to the attitudes of notaries, lawyers and, very often, the court itself.

The opinion that justice may not be meted out to every citizen on a level playing field is taking root, fuelled by allegations, rows between judges and statements by a high-ranking member of the Supreme Court, which tend to lead the public to conclude that there has been victimisation during a recent appointment in this court.

The result of these unhappy events boils down to one fact: mismanagement of public opinion. It seems that some people are not only saying that injustice is being done, but that it is also being openly done.

This places the country in double jeopardy and it is high time that government, the Supreme Court and the Bar Council start thinking over the dangerous situation we are heading towards. Action should be taken quickly and seen to be taken. And public opinion managed as perceptions are often more lethal than reality.