With not even a single advocate qualified to get financial assistance from the Bar Council of Punjab and Haryana (BCPH), the district bar association (DBA) of Mohali wants relaxation of the criteria to help ‘needy lawyers’ who have lost out on income amid the prevailing curfew.
The BCPH, the apex body of lawyers in Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh, with nearly one lakh members, has already granted financial assistance of ₹5,000 each to about 1,800 advocates. The bar body had received 3,400 applications for financial help.
The Covid-19 relief fund for advocates has been set up on the lines of Delhi and Goa bar council.
A 26-year-old advocate living in Phase 1, Mohali, said he had just started his career. “However, courts are closed so I have not been able to earn. But I am expected to pay my rent and meet other expenses. I need assistance to tide over this tough time,” said the young lawyer, unwilling to be named.
“I have been getting about 10 to 12 calls from lawyers seeking help. With courts not working, it is become difficult for them, so I decided to take up the issue,” said Manpreet Singh Chahal, president of Mohali DBA. Chahal said he had written to the bar council and is urging other bar associations to step forward and help lawyers.
“The conditions imposed for availing help must be relaxed so that a larger number of lawyers can be helped,” said Chahal, who is also seeking to increasing the amount.
{{/usCountry}}“The conditions imposed for availing help must be relaxed so that a larger number of lawyers can be helped,” said Chahal, who is also seeking to increasing the amount.
{{/usCountry}}Courts have been closed for more than 40 days now and some advocates who were living hand to mouth have been rendered without income. Of 600 DBA members, 25 applications for help were filed by advocates who could meet the criteria.
For an advocate to qualify for financial help, he should be active and have a regular legal practice at the bar. The advocate must be unable to earn due to the lockdown. He/she should not be receiving any monthly payment from another advocate with whom he/she is practising as a junior. No one in his/her family must be getting a monthly salary from any government or statuary body or organisation, and neither should any member of his/her family be getting a pension. He/she should not own a car.