The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Minister for moral code for advocates

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Sep 10, 2006
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Minister for moral code for advocates

Staff Reporter

Need to improve standards of legal education stressed to regain its esteem and public goodwill

JUSTICE FOR ALL: (From left) Former Supreme Court judge and member of the National Human Rights Commission Shivraj V. Patil, Chief Justice of the Karnataka High Court Cyriac Joseph, Union Minister of State for Law and Justice K. Venkatapathy and seni or advocate K.K. Venugopal at the conference of office-bearers of the Bar associations of the State, in Bangalore on Saturday. — Photo: K. Gopinathan

BANGALORE: Union Minister of State for Law and Justice K. Venkatapathy on Saturday called for a better relationship between the Bench and the Bar and regretted the recent trend of the members of the Bar participating in strikes or boycotting courts.

He spoke on the need for coming up with a moral code of conduct for advocates.

He was speaking at the inauguration of the conference of office-bearers of the Bar associations of the State on the High Court premises.

He said when the Bar does not allow a court to function, the public could not complain about the indiscipline of the advocates to the higher courts.

Instead, the Bar Councils should impose a code of discipline on their members and such a moral code could be displayed in the offices of Bar associations.

Functioning of Bar

Mr. Venkatapathy said the functioning of the Bar was getting complex and monopolistic. The primary role of the Bar was to assist the courts in resolving amicably all categories of disputes. "Arbitrate and do not litigate," should be the motive of the Bar, he said.

He said that in recent years, there was an opinion that legal profession was not what it was, and that it no longer was into social service. There were also opinions that it had moved from the stage of rendering justice. The standards of legal education should be improved if the profession had to regain its esteem and public goodwill, he said.

He said the legal profession had grown enormously and lot was being said about judicial reforms.

Pointing out that the Bar association played a key role in judicial reforms, he said if the judicial system was to be strengthened, the association should be strengthened.

A large number of "bright and intelligent" students who otherwise would have preferred engineering or medicine were opting for law and this was a healthy sign, he said. He said a fee chart charged by the advocates for cases could be displayed in the offices of the association. This, he said, would help the public. The poor, he said, would not respect the law if they were cut off from the system.

The legal fraternity had to fight for the poor by taking up their cause and cases, he said.

He said the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Government had taken up several pro-poor and welfare schemes and hoped that the Bar would also come forward to share this responsibility.

Senior High Court Judge and KSLSA Executive Chairman V. Gopal Gowda said the concept of "justice for all — real and speedy" was not only for those who come before the court but to all the people of the country.

He said as part of the golden jubilee celebrations, the High Court had organised several seminars, cultural and sports functions.

On September 15, it intended to host a poets' meet (kavi sammelana).

Publications released

Chief Justice of the Karnataka High Court Cyriac Joseph released "Kaanunu Samvadagalu," and former Supreme Court judge and member of the National Human Rights Commission Shivraj V. Patil released "Nyaya Prasara," a quarterly news bulletin published by the KSLSA.

Mr. Patil spoke on the role of the advocates in upholding the law. Senior advocate in the Supreme Court, K.K. Venugopal, also spoke.

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