SC WANTS LEGAL PROFESSION OVERHAUL

NEW DELHI: Peeved at the failure of the Bar Council of India (BCI) and state bar councils to act against advocates committing professional misconduct, the Supreme Court has asked the Law Commission to examine all relevant aspects relating to regulation of legal profession in India.

A three-judge bench headed by Justice AR Dave said: “There appears to be an urgent need to review the provisions of the Advocates Act dealing with regulatory mechanisms for the legal profession and other incidental issues, in consultation with all concerned.” India has close to 1.2 million lawyers whose professional conduct is regulated by the BCI and the state bar councils. Of late, the BCI has been embroiled in many controversies, with its Chairman Manan Kumar Mishra himself admitting that over 30% of lawyers had fake degrees.

“The legal profession being the most important component of the justice delivery system, it must continue to perform its significant role and regulatory mechanism and should not be seen to be wanting in taking prompt action against any malpractice,” the SC said on Tuesday. The top court ruled that an advocate convicted of contempt of court could not appear before courts. Upholding an Allahabad High Court order convicting advocate Mahipal Singh Rana of contempt of court, the bench debarred him from practice for two years. HTC