BCI- Bar Council of India

Body entrusted with regulating the legal profession and to deal with lawyers who step out of line.
Numerous cases of Lawyer strikes
  • 2009: clash between lawyers and police in Madras HC –> led to formation of ShriKrishna Committee
  • September 2015: group of lawyer protesting against judges in Madras HC
  • June 2015: Madurai Lawyers against decision of wearing helmet in Court premises
  • July 2015: Indefinite strike by Delhi district court lawyers
Madras HC directed the Union government to consider entrusting the functions of Bar Council to an Expert Committee headed by retired SC judge along with academicians, legal experts, Doctors, Prominent Social workers, retd. IAS and police officers.
SC order in Common Cause vs UOI: It is unprofessional for lawyers to go on strike or boycott court; It is duty of state and National bar councils to take action against striking associations. It held that only in Rarest of rare cases abstention from court is justified.
Some concerns:
  • Politicization of bar associations e.g. in TN –> DMK, AIDMK, PMK
  • Quality of lawyers deterioratingSuggestion to stop three year degree and retain only 5-year courseAmend Advocates Act to prevent entry of criminal or extremist elements into the profession

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