BENGALURU: The Karnataka State Bar Council (KSBC) on Thursday appealed to Chief Minister BS Yeddiyurappa to establish an Advocates Training Academy to train young lawyers, along the lines of the Karnataka Judicial Academy which trains judicial officers.KSBC Chairman JM Anil Kumar made this appeal to the Chief Minister during the ‘Advocates Day’ celebrations – which marks the birth anniversary of Dr Rajendra Prasad, the first President of India who was also an eminent lawyer.
Kumar also appealed to Yeddiyurappa to enact an Advocates Protection Act to protect around 1.1 lakh advocates in the state, especially those in rural areas who form a majority.Thanking the state government for extending financial aid of Rs 5 crore for advocates in distress during the pandemic, Kumar requested that the KSBC office be accommodated in the existing old Election Commission building, which was temporarily allotted to it.
The CM said that it is a good sign that more young law graduates are taking up the profession. Advocates need to offer more legal aid to address public grievances, labour issues, motor vehicle accident cases, and land acquisition in particular, Yediyurappa said.He added that the state is committed to strengthening the judicial system by providing required infrastructure. To this end, 13 family courts and 31 special and fast-track courts have been sanctioned, th e Chief Minister said.