Lawyers protest

By Our Reporter

SHILLONG, APR 21: The legal fraternity in the state today burnt the copies of the recommendation and Bill of the Law Commission of India as a mark of protest against its attempt to take away the autonomy and independence of the Indian Bar.

As part of the nationwide protest, lawyers under the banner of the Shillong Bar Association (SBA) gathered outside the Bar premises in the city and burnt copies of the recommendation and Bill of the Law Commission on Friday.

“The protest was following the resolution taken by the Bar Council of India in a recent joint meeting held on April 15,” SBA secretary Kishore Ch Gaut told reporters.

Expressing strong opposition on the matter, he said, “We want that the Law Commission to take back its recommendation.”

Earlier last week, the lawyers had also staged pen down strike even as they now threatened to further intensify their agitations.

The proposed Advocates (Amendment) Bill, 2017 of the Law Commission proposes that the members of Bar Councils are to be nominated by High Courts and Supreme Court.

More than 50 per cent of such members are to be people from the fields of Commerce, Accountancy or management, medical science or social science.

Further these people, under the chairmanship of a former Judge of High Court or the Supreme Court, are to conduct the proceedings relating to any complaint of misconduct against the Advocates (facing disciplinary proceedings) and to regulate the legal profession and legal education of the country.

According to the recommendations and Bill of Law Commission, lawyers would be required to pay compensation to the clients in case they go on strikes, abstinence or fail to appear in cases.

It further stated that compensation up to Rs 5 lakhs shall have to be paid by the lawyers even though the clients might not have paid a single farthing to them as fee.