[Attacks on lawyers] BCI constitutes 7-member committee to draft Advocates’ Protection Bill

In the wake of recent reports from different parts of the country about attacks on lawyers, the Bar Council of India (BCI) has constituted a seven-member committee to draft an Advocates' Protection Bill..According to a letter issued on June 12, the Bill would be aimed at ensuring adequate protection to members of the legal fraternity so that they can carry on their duties as officers of the court, fearlessly without having to worry about their and their family's safety..The decision to constitute the committee to draft such a law was taken at a meeting held on June 10, when the BCI General Council passed a resolution for the same. The resolution was passed keeping in view that "of late there has been an increase in the attacks on advocates." ."It was only recently that we were witness to a heinous and barbaric incident of daylight murder of Advocate Couple (Gattu Vaman Rao and his wife P. V. Nagamani) in Telengana," the BCI had noted further. .The members now tasked with drafting the Bill meant to ensure the protection of lawyers from such attacks include:.Senior Advocate S Prabakaran, Vice-Chairman, Bar Council of India; Senior Advocate Debi Prasad Dhal, Executive Chairman, Bar Council of India Trust; Advocate Suresh Chandra Shrimali, Co-Chairman, Bar Council of India; Advocate Shailendra Dubey, Member, Bar Council of India; Advocate A Rami Reddy, Executive Vice-Chairman, Bar Council of India Trust; Advocate Shreenath Tripathi, Member, Bar Council of India; and Advocate Prashant Kumar Singh, Member, Bar Council of India. .In the June 10 meeting, the BCI had expressed deep concern over the "frequent and often violent physical attacks on members of the Advocates' fraternity."."It was discussed and deliberated with anguish that it is extremely distressing to see that while it is the Advocates fraternity which provides justice to the citizens of the country; and for this reason they have to file and argue cases most of the time against the dreaded anti social elements and criminals, but the Advocates are themselves left without even bare minimum adequate protection against such elements. As a result of such cases, Advocates are often at the receiving end/target of such criminal and anti social elements," stated the resolution passed on June 10 further. .The attack on an advocate, Ram Sharma at Jaipur was also highlighted, whereby the lawyer and his wife were stated to have been inflicted with serious injuries by criminals in Jaipur, Rajasthan. The BCI resolved to write to the Director-General of Police, Rajasthan to take immediate steps to arrest the culprits and to carry out a fair and expeditious probe in the case. Further, the BCI also intimated that it will write to the Rajasthan Chief Minister to ensure the protection of advocates in the State. .A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) petition filed by a Karnataka-based advocate against a custodial death in police station and some other cases against leaders of the ruling party in Telangana were also taken note of.."The horrific incident took us back to the days of anarchy and lawlessness and goondaraj. Such incidents are examples of severe threat and attack on the independence of the Bar," the BCI observed. .The BCI went on to assert it is high-time for the Central and State governments to take up the issue with sincerity, failing which advocates of the country would have to take recourse of a countrywide agitation..In this backdrop, the BCI has nominated seven of its members to take the first steps towards drafting the Advocate's Protection law..[Read BCI letter]