Chief Justice of India T.S. Thakur on Saturday said it was true that some of the eminent Supreme Court lawyers charged heavy fees. However, they were also offering free legal service to the poor.
He said the legal profession should not only bring recognition to a person who practises law, but should be a rewarding one as well.
Heavy fee
At the foundation stone laying ceremony of the M.K. Nambyar Academy for Continuing Legal Education being set up by the Bar Council of Kerala, the Chief Justice was responding to Leader of the Opposition V.S. Achuthanandan’s remarks that the poor and the marginalised were unable to approach the Supreme Court because of the heavy fee demanded by some Supreme Court lawyers.
Justice Thakur said continuing legal education would empower the lawyers to effectively conduct cases and do justice to their profession.
The Leader of the Opposition, while speaking at the function, said providing training to lawyers would speed up the process of delivering justice to the needy.
Mr. Achuthanandan said steps should be taken to end the practice of lawyers collecting heavy fees.
At a seminar organised in connection with the foundation stone laying ceremony of the academy on Saturday, Union Law Minister D.V. Sadananda Gowda said the government was in talks with the Bar Council of India on the issue of allowing foreign law firms in the country.
