The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : State Bar council opposes draft Bill

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Thursday, Mar 17, 2011
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

State Bar council opposes draft Bill

Staff Reporter

Advocates to
stage agitation

Bangalore: The Karnataka State Bar Council has opposed the draft Legal Practitioners (Regulations and Maintenance of Standards in Profession, Protecting the Interest of Clients and Promoting the Rule of Law) Bill, 2010 proposed by the Union Ministry of Law and Justice.

Council chairperson Jayakumar S. Patil told presspersons here on Tuesday that advocates across the country would hold agitations on March 24 by tying red ribbon to oppose the proposed legislation.

‘Unnecessary'

He said the proposed legislation was unnecessary and against the very concept of independence of the Bar. Creating a super body such as the Legal Services Board over and above the State Bar councils and the Bar Council of India, that too by involving sitting or retired judges and judicial officers, would affect the independence of the profession.

If the Legal Services Board had to be constituted, then it should consist of persons elected from amongst the advocates only and control of profession should be from professionals themselves, Mr. Patil said. Bringing in persons from judiciary, whether serving or retired, would be against the concept of independence of the Bar, he said.

As per the draft Bill, the Chairman of the Board would be appointed by the President of India in consultation with the Chief Justice of India and the Bar Council of India, which, Mr. Patil said, would give way for appointment of a retired judge of the apex court to the post.

Opposing the move to appointment an ombudsman (a retired judge of the High Court) for dealing with complaints against the legal professionals at the State level, Mr. Patil said that prior to the enactment of the Advocates Act, 1961, disciplinary proceedings against advocates were entrusted to judicial officers and there was a strong agitation opposing the system.

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