NEW DELHI, Feb 16:
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today lauded the efforts of Bar Council Of India in promoting high standard of legal education in the country and said that the legal fraternity will pool their expertise knowledge and wisdom in redressing the problem of huge pendency of cases in the trial courts.
Speaking at a function at Vigyan Bhavan to commemorate Golden Jubilee Celebrations of the BCI, Dr Singh said that legal education has evolved in context of globalisation and assumed considerable significance over time.
Dr Singh asserted the need of highly trained lawyers not only in the field of litigation but in academics, corporate practice, government and in civil society.
Dr Singh said that the BCI has enormous responsibilities to discharge, since it is a regulatory body and it should prescribe certain standards of professional conduct and etiquette by exercising disciplinary jurisdiction over the bar.
“It also sets the standards for legal education and grants recognition to Universities and institutions of legal education whose degree in law will serve as qualification for enrollment as an advocate”, the Prime Minister said.
Its other functions include protecting the rights, privileges and interests of advocates and implementing schemes for their welfare,” Dr Singh said.
The National Legal Services Authority has formulated a number of schemes to provide “access to justice” to the marginalised people including free legal aid to under-trial prisoners and for supporting the implementation of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, the Prime Minister said and urged the legal fraternity at various levels to become active participants and facilitators in the implementation of these schemes intended to empower the disadvantaged.
Asserting that he was fully aware of the responsibilities of the Government in working with the Judiciary and other stake holders to build a strong and effective justice delivery system, he said, “I reaffirm our Government’s commitment to take all necessary action in this direction, and also to work for the welfare of the legal fraternity.”
Chief Justice of India Altamas Kabir emphasised the importance of ethics and etiquette in the legal fraternity. He pointed out that Chapter 2, Part 6 of the Bar Council Rules specifically focused on the standard of professional conduct and etiquette and the Golden Jubilee of the BCI was the right occasion to ponder over “how we have been able to maintain ourselves”.
The CJI urged the legal Body to work towards sensitising lawyers, taking care of legal education including revising the curriculum, betterment of the profession for consumers of justice and to “try and make justice accessible to citizens, wherever he or she may be”.
Union Minister for Law and Justice Dr Ashwani Kumar, exhorted the legal fraternity to set the highest standards and lend a helping hand to the disadvantaged and the deprived. And to engages in actions that “enhances our dignity and that of the profession”.
‘ Law imparting institutions should constantly upgrade the curriculum content and lawyers must keep pace with the process of globalization, like IT, IPR, Regulatory mechanisms, international trade among the new horizons of law, ‘ the law minister said.
In his address, Attorney General G E Vahanvati, said that lawyers were the backbone of the judicial system. Maintaining that Section 16 of the Advocates Act did not distinguish between lawyers practicing in lower courts and higher courts, he said hard working lawyers from the lower courts can also be designated as Senior Advocates. “Why not acknowledge the outstanding lawyers who are equally good, if not better”, the senior Lawyer said.
In his welcome address, Chairman of the Bar Council of India, Manan Kumar Mishra, highlighted the problems faced by lawyers including insurance cover, stipend for young students and legal aid.
Pointing out that BCI played a key role in bringing about the five year law course while the National Law School in Bangalore was its brainchild, he said the courses have become more popular than those of IITs and IIMs.
Mishra said that the BCI was working towards creation of law academies in different states for the purpose of continuing legal education and entering into MoUs with different international; institutions.
Judges from the Supreme Court and various High Courts, Vice-Chancellors of several Universities, Union Ministers, Advocates General, Senior Advocates, Law officers of the Central and state Governments, Bar Council office bearers from different states and well known jurists and academics are attending the two day Golden Jubilee celebrations of the BCI.
Despite the heavy rain in the early morning hours, students and Law faculty from various law schools across the country were present at the Vigyan Bhawan making the hall jam packed. So much so many students couldn’t get a place to sit in the hall and had to wait outside.(UNI)
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