The Hindu : National : Call to amend Advocates Act

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Jul 25, 2006

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National

Call to amend Advocates Act

Special Correspondent

PANAJI: The Bar Association of India (BAI) is actively pursuing with the Central Government the urgent need to amend the Advocates Act so as to ensure a "level playing field" for the practising legal professionals.

President of BAI Latit Bhasin told presspersons here on Saturday that the biggest demand of the profession in the country in the present context of the globalisation was "freedom to practise without restriction on advertising in the form of websites and brochures." By advertising, he meant "dissemination of information" about the services rendered by the legal professionals.

"We want permission to have websites, to print brochures, etc," he said. He also spoke of relaxing the existing restriction on the number of partners in legal firms. Recalling his meeting with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in February, Mr. Bhasin said: "The Government has always been sympathetic. The Government has already constituted a committee under the Ministry of Commerce to resolve the issue."

He was in favour of a debate on the issues related to relaxing the restrictions on advertising and wanted the Government to involve the Bar Council of India, the Bar Association, etc., to remove any concerns over the issue. He said the Commerce Ministry is keen to help the legal profession. But the view appeared to be "no action to be taken in haste."

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