NEW DELHI: With the Centre contemplating to include lawyers within the ambit of the Consumer Protection Act, the Bar Council of Delhi has written to Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan to register its protest stating that legal profession is an integral part of the justice delivery system and is not a commercial or trade activity.
"Ministry is framing Rules under the Act and wants to surreptitiously include lawyers under the proposed Rules so as to bring lawyers across the country within the jurisdiction of Consumer Redressal Forum. This is highly deplorable and lawyers will never accept their inclusion within the definition of the provisions of the Consumer Protection Act," the letter reads, urging the minister to not proceed with the proposal to include lawyers.
"The legal profession is an integral part of the justice delivery system and is not a commercial or trade activity and the legal professional cannot be included for any purpose under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, or its Rules as it is being contemplated," it added.
The Bar Council of Delhi has stated that if any such step is pursued further, the matter could be taken up by the entire legal community across the country.
Meanwhile, the Delhi High Court Bar Association has resolved to wear white armbands on March 12 as a mark of initial protest against the proposal to include advocates under the ambit of 'service providers'. The resolution further states that the Bar Association will make a strong representation to the central government to withdraw the proposal to include advocates under the ambit of the consumer law.