Advocates (Amendment) Bill: Lawyers to boycott work today

LUCKNOW: The Oudh Bar Association of the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad high court on Thursday decided to boycott work on Friday in protest against the proposed Advocates (Amendment) Bill, 2017. R

The lawyers will also burn an effigy of the proposed amendment bill.

General secretary, OBA, S Chandra convened an urgent meeting of the governing council of the association on Thursday evening to discuss resolution of the Bar Council of India passed on April 10, which decided to oppose the proposed bill, curtailing powers of bar councils.

The Bar Council of India also gave the boycott call on March 31 all over the country in protest against the proposed bill.

“Bar associations of district courts, Allahabad high court and its Lucknow bench will boycott work on Friday in protest against the proposed Advocates (Amendment) Bill, 2017,” said Chandra. .

The proposed amendment was an infringement on the right to practice of lawyers, he said .

To recall, the Law Commission, headed by former Supreme Court judge Justice BS Chauhan , had recently released its report on the Advocates Act, recommending several changes in the legal profession.

In the proposed Advocates (Amendment) Bill, 2017, the Law Commission proposed to nominate members of the state bar councils. At present, members of the state bar councils are elected . “Lawyers are opposing the Advocates (Amendment) Bill, 2017, as it will undermine auton- omy of the bar councils,” said Ashish Kumar Mishra, advocate, joint secretary (press), Allahabad high court bar association. Senior advocate of Lucknow bench of the Allahabad high court, GS Chauhan also expressed concern over the bill. “The proposed bill will severely undermine autonomy of the bar councils,” he said .

THE LAWYERS WILL ALSO BURN AN EFFIGY OF THE PROPOSED AMENDMENT BILL