Lawyers protest HRD bill, strike work in city

Lawyers in Delhi observed a day-long strike as part of the Bar Council of India’s nationwide protest against a bill which they claim will take away the powers of the council to hear complaints against lawyers.

Lawyers in Delhi observed a day-long strike as part of the Bar Council of India’s nationwide protest against a bill which they claim will take away the powers of the council to hear complaints against lawyers.

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They were protesting against Higher Education and Research Bill, 2011, and Legal Practitioners Bill 2010. They say, these bills will take over the authority of the Bar Council. The strike paralysed proceedings at all six district court complexes.

A group of lawyers even went inside special CBI court holding trial in the 2G scam and requested prosecution and defence counsel to stop the proceedings.

“Government wants to make the bar council redundant as it has been opposing several anti-people measures of the government, including allowing entry of foreign lawyers,” said Rajiv Khosla, spokesperson of the coordination committee of All District Court Bar Associations of Delhi.

MK Mishra, convenor of the steering committee of Bar Council said, a joint meeting of the chairmen of all state bar councils of the country, leaders of all bar associations of Delhi and Bar Council of India will be held on January 23. “By introducing the bill, HRD minister Kapil Sibal wants to undermine the authority of elected bodies of advocates and he wants to impose his supremacy,” Mishra said.

Sibal, too, has called a meeting of BCI members on January 23.