This is an 'onslaught' on freedom of profession, enact Advocates Protection Act: KSBC, AAB condemns murder of Advocate Venkatesh

The Karnataka State Bar Council (KSBC) on Monday condemned the brutal and horrific murder of Advocate Tarihalli Venkatesh, who was killed on February 27 in the JMFC court premises at Hosapete, Vijayanagara district..In a press note, the KSBC has urged the government to enact a law for the protection of lawyers. The statement further reads that the "Union and State government should take up the issue with all sincerity, failing which the Advocates of the country would take recourse of a country wide strike/agitation." Expressing concern over the brutal murder, the Council has urged that there should an independent and impartial judicial inquiry. It has urged the representative members of the Bar Council of India (BCI) from Karnataka to "pressurize" the apex lawyers' body to take up the matter with the Union government. .The increasing attacks on lawyers in recent years has been pointed out in KSBC's release. Due to these frequent threats and attacks on the lawyers, advocates are not at all safe anywhere in the country, the Council apprehends.."The frequent threats and attacks on the lawyers have established that the Advocates are not at all safe anywhere in the country. This is an onslaught on the freedom of the profession. It is proving to be exceedingly difficult and even fatal for the Advocates taking up the peoples cause and violation of fundamental rights," reads the statement..Subsequently, an emergency meeting was called by the Dharwad Bar Association, where the members have condemned the murder and urged the government to enact a law to safeguard the profession. "On a regular basis, lawyers are being assaulted, brutalized and murdered. There is no protection for lawyers and their families. It is essential to formulate and enforce the a law to Protect lawyer," reads the resolution passed by the Association.The Bar Association also pointed out that the KSBC has already drafted and submitted the Defence of Lawyers Draft/Bill before the State government, which has yet to take up the draft legislation..On similar lines, the Advocates Association of Bengaluru (AAB) also has resolved to pressure the government to enact the Advocates Protection Act in the wake of the murder of Advocate Venkatesh. AAB has resolved to send a representation to the BCI to exert pressure on the Central government to immediately pass the Advocates Protection Act.This apart, AAB has decided to constitute a four-member Committee consisting of Senior Counsel Uday Holla, CH Hanumanatharaya, AS Ponnanna and Advocate DR Ravishankar to prepare a draft of the Advocates Protection Act.AAB further requested Karnataka High Court Chief Justice Abhay Shreeniwas Oka to formulate the required guidelines to take immediate action in the event of any attack on advocates in court premises. AAB has also decided to stage a dharna on March 3 at 10:30 am, in front of the Golden Gate of High Court of Karnataka, as part of a protest against the killing..Lawyers' bodies from across the country have issued calls for the enactment of the Advocates Protection Act, in the wake of a spate of lawyer killings in the recent past..Towards the end of last year, the Allahabad High Court took suo motu cognizance of the assault on a lawyer by Uttar Pradesh police at Etah. This, after the BCI wrote to the Union Home Minister asking for the enactment of suitable laws to provide protection to the lawyers in the country..On February 17, the Bar Council of the State of Telangana had passed a resolution urging the police to probe the murder of two advocates who were hacked to death in broad daylight. The Bar Council urged the State government to enact the Advocates Protection Act as the “country is witnessing frequent attacks on the Advocates”. Accordingly, the Telangana High Court took suo motu cognizance of the incident and directed the State government to file a detailed report on the incident. It also directed that a time-bound investigation into the incident should be completed by March 1, 2021. .Telangana High Court takes suo motu cognizance of murder of lawyer couple in broad daylight .Read the Statement by KSBC .Read the Resolution passed by the Bar Association