The Supreme Court announced on Wednesday its intention to conduct a thorough examination of the rules proposed by the Bar Council of India (BCI) aimed at addressing concerns related to strikes initiated by lawyers.
Justices Sudhanshu Dhulia and SVN Bhatti, comprising the bench, have scheduled further hearings on the matter in the upcoming month of February.
The BCI had previously submitted a draft of rules designed to tackle issues associated with lawyers’ strikes. BCI Chairman Manan Kumar Mishra, a senior advocate, informed the court that the rules were open to examination, and any suggestions from the court would be accepted without conditions.
“We will examine these rules. The rules, therefore, need to be examined in detail,” stated the court during the proceedings. Mishra also informed the court about the incorporation of suggestions from petitioner’s lawyer, Prashant Bhushan, while drafting the rules.
The court was addressing a contempt petition filed by the NGO Common Cause, focusing on the contentious issue of lawyer strikes. The petitioner sought actions against lawyers abstaining from work and urged the BCI to issue directives for the inclusion of appropriate rules prohibiting strikes by advocates in the ‘Standards for Professional Conduct and Etiquette.’
Bhushan proposed measures such as refusing meetings for strike requisitions and initiating immediate disciplinary actions against those advocating strikes. BCI Chairman Mishra, however, advocated for practicality, emphasizing that lawyers should not be denied the right to observe strikes.
(Inputs from ANI)