Karnataka assembly passes Bill to protect rights of lawyers

Under this bill, law enforcement agencies are mandated to promptly inform the President or Secretary of the relevant Advocates’ Association upon the arrest of an advocate for a cognizable offence

The state assembly, on Thursday passed the Karnataka Prohibition of Violence Against Advocates Bill, aimed at safeguarding the rights of advocates.

The Karnataka assembly passes bill to safeguard rights of advocates. (HT archive)

This legislation not only defines acts constituting violence against advocates but also outlines punitive measures, including imprisonment ranging from six months to three years or a fine of up to ₹1 lakh, or both.

Under this bill, law enforcement agencies are mandated to promptly inform the president or secretary of the relevant advocates’ association upon the arrest of an advocate for a cognizable offence.

“The bill dictates that all offences falling under its purview shall be tried by a court not lower than the court of judicial magistrate of first class,” said officials in the know of the development.

Simultaneously, the Karnataka assembly took a unanimous stance in recommending to the Union government the renaming of four airports in the state in a tribute to distinguished personalities. According to the resolution, Hubballi airport is slated to be named after Krantiveera Sangolli Rayanna, Belagavi airport after Kittur Rani Chennamma, Shivamogga airport after Rashtrakavi Dr KV Puttappa (Kuvempu), and Vijayapura airport after Sri Jagadjyoti Basaveshwara.

Infrastructure development minister MB Patil, spearheading the resolution, said that these proposed names will be formally submitted to the central government.

However, a proposal by BJP MLA V Sunil Kumar to rename Mangaluru airport after Koti Channaiah faced a temporary halt as Speaker UT Khader indicated the need for further discussion, given the demand to name it after Veera Rani Abbakka.

Another bill by the name the Karnataka Transparency in Public Procurements (Second Amendment) Bill was passed. The Bill aims to introduce reservations for OBC communities in government construction contracts up to ₹1 crore.