Lawyers in the district courts and the High Courts across the country will abstain from work on March 31 in protest against what the Bar Council of India (BCI) has termed an attempt to take away the autonomy of Bar councils and associations through the Advocates (Amendment) Bill, 2017, proposed by the Law Commission. The Bill has been sent to the Union Law Ministry for consideration.
“The Commission proposes to turn the Bar Council into a rehabilitation centre for retired judges of High Courts and the Supreme Court,” said BCI chairman Manan Kumar Mishra, listing the proposed committees to be headed by former or sitting Judges. A BCI-led delegation will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad.
