After strikes by attorneys and objections of the Bar Council of India, the Union Legislation and Justice Ministry on Saturday withdrew the draft Advocates (Modification) Invoice, 2025 printed on February 13, and stated it “will likely be processed afresh for session with stakeholders”.
In a press release, the Ministry stated that the draft Invoice had been printed on the Division of Authorized Affairs web site on February 13 “demonstrating the federal government’s dedication to transparency and broader engagement with stakeholders and the general public.”
“Nevertheless, contemplating the variety of options and issues acquired, it has been determined to conclude the session course of now. Based mostly on the suggestions acquired, the draft Invoice, as revised, will likely be processed afresh for session with stakeholders,” the Ministry stated.
The draft Invoice, which was open for public session till February 28, in search of to amend the Advocates Act, 1961, confronted extreme criticism from the Bar Council of India and attorneys. In a letter to Union Legislation Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal on Wednesday, BCI chairperson and BJP MP Manan Kumar Mishra stated that the draft Invoice endangered the autonomy of the BCI.
The draft Invoice had provisions that will enable the federal government to appoint as much as three members to the Bar Council of India, difficulty instructions to the BCI and body laws for international attorneys and companies. The draft Invoice additionally expanded the definition of a “authorized practitioner” to incorporate attorneys working with international regulation companies and company entities.
The draft modification had launched a brand new part prohibiting boycotts or abstention from courts’ work. It stated: “No affiliation of advocates or any member of the affiliation or any advocate, both individually or collectively, shall give a name for boycott or abstinence from courts’ work or boycott or abstain from courts’ work or trigger obstruction in any type in court docket’s functioning or in court docket premises.”
In its February 13 discover, the Ministry had stated, “The Division of Authorized Affairs is proposing to amend the Advocates Act, 1961 to deal with up to date challenges and meet the wants of a rising nation. These amendments intention to align the authorized career and authorized schooling with world finest practices. The reforms will deal with bettering authorized schooling, equipping attorneys to fulfill the calls for of a quickly altering world, and elevating skilled requirements. The last word objective is to make sure that the authorized career contributes to the creation of a simply and equitable society, and developed nation.”
