Advocates flay bills, stage stir

Flaying the HRD Ministry’s proposal of drafting various bills that will affect legal education and Advocates Act 1961 and the failure of State government in allotting monthly stipend to the new lawyers, Mangalore Bar Association staged a protest outside the District Court premises on Thursday.

Addressing the protesters, Mangalore Bar Association President S P Changappa said that the State Government has released Rs 3 lakhs to support lawyers who have just finished their education and are seeking to start a career in the legal field. The lawyers who have applied for this fund after 1-4-2010 have received Rs 1,000 as stipend for 24 months.

However, those lawyers who have applied for this fund in the years 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009 have not receive the stipend till date, said Changappa. In spite of submitting a memorandum to the Deputy Commissioner and getting the issue to the notice of the government, the issue has not been resolved. The stipend for these lawyers has to be released immediately, demanded Changappa.

The stipend is limited for 24 months and lawyers whose families annual income is below Rs 40,000 can apply for this fund. "These limitations are not scientific and many cannot make use of it," said Changappa and added that a lawyer needs to be established to earn a good income. As many lawyers cannot earn income, many are not practising in the law field.

Putting forth the associations demands, he said that the all new lawyers who seek to practice should be supported with the fund. The minimum family income limitation has to be dismissed. The fund of Rs 1,000 has to be raised to 3,000. The stipend should not be limited to 24 months," he said.

He also demanded that the Legal Education and Advocates Act should be excluded from the the purview of Higher Education and Research Bill 2011 (Draft HER Bill), The National Accreditation Regulatory Authority for Higher Educational Institutions Act 2010, The Foreign Educational Institutions (Regulation of Entry and Operations) Bill 2010, The Prohibition of Unfair Practices in Higher Educational Institution Bill 2010 and the National Law Schools Bill 2011.

"The new legislations would be lowering the status of the legal profession and is stealthily trying to invite foreign firms to settle down in India thereby depriving the legal profession in India of its legitimate claims," he said.