Govt ‘Blinks’ on Advocates (Amendment) Bill Amid Lawyers’ Stir

Centre ‘Withdraws’ Draft Bill Proposing Reforms in Lawyers’ Regulations

By Manish Anand

New Delhi, February 22: The Ministry of Law and Justice is learnt to have withdrawn the ‘Draft Advocates (Amendment), Bill 2025’. The Bar Council of India and its state affiliates are up in arms against the Centre for the move to reform the lawyers’ regulations.

The website of the Ministry of Law and Justice no more shows Draft Advocates (Amendment), Bill 2025. This draft bill was in public domain for consultative process with stakeholders.

“The Draft Advocates (Amendment), Bill 2025 is withdrawn for all practical purposes. Even after the assurance of the Bar Council of India, there was no call off of strikes and agitations by the lawyers’ bodies in states,” sources said.

Mannan Kumar Mishra, the chairman of the Bar Council of India, had issued a letter to the state affiliates to call off the agitation after “getting assurance from the Ministry of Law and Justice to examine various provisions in the draft bill”. Mishra and other members of the lawyers’ body had called on Union Minister of State for Law and Justice on Thursday.

Lawyers Strike: Law Ministry & Bar Council Reach ‘Deal’ to End Stir

The meeting lasted over four hours during which the Ministry had agreed to pause certain contentious provisions in the bill, sources said. Mishra later issued the letter to affiliates in states, saying that a pause in the agitation will strengthen the “bargaining position of the Bar Council of India with the government”.

The lawyers’ body had been up in arms principally for three contentious provisions in the draft bill. “The lawyers are agitating against the provision of the government nominating three members in the Bar Council of India. This may get replicated in state affiliates,” sources said.

The lawyers’ body is also restive for the proposal in the draft bill that the government may frame rules for the entry of foreign lawyers. Sources said that the current prevalence of ‘Fly in, Fly out’ for foreign lawyers to work in India is acting as an impediment in concluding Free Trade Agreements (FTAs).

‘Stalled Wheel of Justice’ delves deep into systemic judicial stillness

Also, the Bar Council is miffed that the government proposed alternative mechanism to probe complaints against chairman of the body by the Law Colleges and others for misconduct and corruption. “Currently, a complaint against chairman is probed by the Bar Council only, which is in violation of natural justice, a basic feature of the Constitution,” sources said.

Also, the Bar Council of India, sources said, is miffed at the government move to cap fee charged by it for the registration of the lawyers. The lawyers are also restive with apprehensions that the bill if passed by parliament may ban strikes by them in courts.

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About The Author

Manish Anand

Manish Anand is a senior journalist with more than two decades of hardcore reporting on beats such as Prime Minister’s Office, Parliament, BJP, Congress, Planning Commission, NITI Aayog, and scores of Union Ministries.

His past has been with The New Indian Express, The Asian Age/Deccan Chronicle, and The Statesman.

For about 15 years, Manish was also a regular commentator and host for talks on AIR on foreign affairs.

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