Provide legal aid to poor, CM tells lawyers

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday called upon advocates to provide legal aid to the poor and people belonging to the backward classes.

He was speaking after receiving felicitations from the Advocates Association of Bengaluru at the City Civil Court complex.

“Only your (advocates) profession gives the satisfaction of helping people get justice. However, I have noticed of late that women, poor and backward class people cannot afford to engage good lawyers.

The fee to engage good lawyers has gone up drastically. In fact, the rich have started thinking that by paying more, they can escape the clutches of law even after committing a wrong. These are not good developments in the interest of society. I hope the advocates will develop professionalism and help the poor get justice,” Siddaramaiah said.

The chief minister recalled his days of practising law in Mysuru during the 1970s. “I became an advocate accidentally. My father wanted me to be a doctor.
However, because I had scored less marks in PUC, I did my BSc and later joined a law college. The principal of the law college persuaded me to join Vidyavardhaka Law College as a lecturer. I am told that presently around 180 advocates practising in Bengaluru had graduated from Vidyavardhaka Law College,” Siddaramaiah said.

The president of the Advocates Association of Bengaluru and other office-bearers felicitated the chief minister and handed over a memorandum with a list of demands.

Law and Higher Education Minister T B Jayachandra assured the association members that he would consider most of their demands. Karnataka High Court Chief Justice Subhro Kamal Mukherjee, judges of the High Court N Kumar and Ratnakala were present at the function.