CHENNAIi: While ringing alarm bells on the increasing invasion of fake advocates in the legal fraternity,
Bar Council of India chairman Manan Kumar Mishra on Saturday said the Council has been taking steps to curb the trend.
Speaking at the Lawyers' Meet on 'Public litigation policy, access to justice and environmental law', he said, "The BCI has taken yet another step to filter the fake, non-practising and bad elements from the court campuses and bar associations. We passed BCI certificate and place of practice verification rule in January 2015 and these rules require the verification of place and certificate of every advocate, (to check) whether he is really in legal practice. This is to be done every five years," he said. "We were compelled to pass such rules in order to keep away persons enrolled in Bar councils involved in contracts, property dealings or some other jobs and are misusing their certificates," he added.
"I'm sorry to find that the number of such (fake, non-practising and bad) advocates are more than 30% across the country. Similarly, more than 20% of persons sporting court dressage have no proper degrees, or have gotten enrolled on the basis of some post certificates," the BCI Chief said.
Mishra also pointed out that the growing tribe of such persons had been increasing in state bars. "The number of such malpractising representatives in state bar councils is also increasing day by day and this is degrading the standard of Bar Councils. We are unable to take even constructive decisions because of increasing number of such lawyers," he lamented.
"Strikes on petty, frivolous issues have become regular phenomenon due to this. The bar council is very serious about this and we are going to be very stiff in these things. We need the support of the bench also. We cannot tolerate the presence of irresponsible, nasty elements in the bar anymore," he concluded.