BCI Expresses Concern Over Attacks on Lawyers Constitutes 7- Member Committee to Draft Advocates Protection Bill

(Judicial Quest News Network)

Worried about the recent attacks on lawyers the Bar Council of India (BCI) has constituted a 7-member committee of lawyers to draft an Advocate Protection Bill

In a letter issued on June 12 the BCI said the Bill would be designed to safeguarding and providing adequate safety and protection to members of legal fraternity so that they can carry on theirs without having to worry about their and their family’s safety.

A meeting was held in this regard on 10 June 2021 and a decision to constitute such a committee was taken in that meeting, the BCI General council passed a resolution in view that “of late there has been an increase in the attacks on advocates”.

The BCI in its letter noted that ““The Hon’ble Members of the Bar Council of India on 10.06.2021 noted with deep concern, the frequent and often violent physical attacks on members of Advocates fraternity. It was discussed and deliberated with anguish that it is extremely distressing to see that while it is the Advocates fraternity which provides justice to the citizens of the country; and for this reason, they have to file and argue cases most of the time against the dreaded anti-social elements and criminals, but the Advocates are themselves left without even bare minimum adequate protection against such elements. As a result of such cases, Advocates are often at the receiving end/target of such criminal and anti-social elements.

Recently in the month of February in broad day light Telangana High Court Advocates Mr. Gattu Vaman Rao and Mrs.P.V. Nagamani who were the practicing Advocates of Telangana High Court and subordinates’ courts were killed near Peddapalli District (Ramagundam Police Commissionerate), Telangana State.The BCI noted further.

The Council has nominated the following members to be part of the Committee: –

1. Mr. S. Prabakaran, Sr. Advocate, Vice-Chairman, Bar Council of India;

2. Mr. Debi Prasad Dhal, Sr. Advocate, Executive Chairman, Bar Council of India Trust;

3. Mr. Suresh Chandra Shrimali, Co-Chairman, Bar Council of India;

4. Mr. Shailendra Dubey, Member, Bar Council of India;

5. Mr. A. Rami Reddy, Executive Vice-Chairman, Bar Council of India Trust;

6. Mr. Shreenath Tripathi, Member, Bar Council of India; and

7. Mr. Prashant Kumar Singh, Member, Bar Council of India.

The BCI while expressing the concern over the recent attack on Advocates said “It is imperative that such Act be passed by the Parliament at the earliest as the Advocates fraternity is literally acting as one of essential wings of the justice delivery system akin to the Police and the Judiciary and while the police and judiciary have access to protection and privileges, but, the most important link between the two who argue and present the cases/matters in courts is/are not given proper protection against the nefarious activities of anti-social elements.”

The Council has further said in the letter that the council’s agenda today is the incident of Jaipur, Rajasthan where some of the criminals physically attacked Advocate Shri Ram Sharma and his wife Smt. Vandana Sharma and broke their legs and caused them several serious injuries. This matter was brought to the notice of the Council by the Co-Chairman, Shri Suresh Chandra Shrimali. The Council resolved to write to the Director General of Police Rajasthan to take immediate steps to arrest the culprits and get a fair and expeditious investigation done in the matter. The Government of Rajasthan is to ensure the protection of Advocates of the State, and the council resolved to write to Hon’ble the Chief Minister in this regard.

“The Hon’ble Members of the Bar Council of India on 10.06.2021 noted with deep concern, the frequent and often violent physical attacks on members of Advocates fraternity. It was discussed and deliberated with anguish that it is extremely distressing to see that while it is the Advocates fraternity which provides justice to the citizens of the country; and for this reason, they have to file and argue cases most of the time against the dreaded anti-social elements and criminals, but the Advocates are themselves left without even bare minimum adequate protection against such elements. As a result of such cases, Advocates are often at the receiving end/target of such criminal and anti-social elements.

The BCI feels that this is high time for Central and State governments to take up the issue with sincerity failing which the Advocates of the Country would have to take recourse of a country wide agitation.

Citing various incidents, the BCI has nominated seven of its members to take the first steps towards drafting the ADVOCATES PROTECTION LAW

[Read BCI Letter]