New Delhi | The Supreme Court on Wednesday sought responses from the Centre and others on a plea over issues faced by lawyers, particularly the breach of their privileges.
A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta issued notices to the Centre, the Bar Council of India (BCI) and others on the petition.
The bench tagged the plea with a pending suo motu matter over the issue of investigating agencies summoning lawyers who offer legal opinion or represent parties during probe of cases.
The apex court was hearing a plea filed by advocate Aaditya Gore who has been pursuing the Advocates (Protection) Bill before the Centre since 2014.
"The petitioner is a lawyer and for about 11 years, he is pursuing the authorities concerned including the Bar Council to draft this Bill," advocate Nishant R Katneshwarkar, appearing for Gore, said.
The bench said the bill was under consideration.
The plea sought a direction to the authorities concerned to constitute a committee under Section 10(3) of the Advocates Act, 1961 read with other relevant provisions for the purpose of safeguarding the privileges of lawyers.
Section 10 of the Act deals with constitution of committees other than disciplinary committees.
The plea said during the pendency of the consideration of the Advocates (Protection) Bill before the Law Commission of India, the petitioner wrote to the BCI for adoption of rules for protection of advocates' privileges vide its powers under Section 7(d) of the Advocates Act.
"The present petition, which is being filed in public interest, is necessitated due to various reported incidents which reveal that there is a compelling need for the bar councils to examine the concerns of breach of privileges and for taking effective measures for safeguarding the advocates from such breach," it said.
The plea said it was essential for an effective justice dispensation system to ensure that privileges of lawyers were not breached so as to enable them to carry out their duties fearlessly and independently.
It also referred to instances of assault on advocates.
"Attacks on advocates not only affects the personal dignity of individual advocates, but it severely undermines the dignity and functionality of the administration of justice," the plea said.
