Supreme Court to consider BCI's plea for financial assistance to lawyers on Wednesday

The Supreme Court is scheduled to take up on Wednesday a plea by the Bar Council of India for a direction to the Centre and States to provide financial support to lawyers, who are facing unprecedented hardships due to closure of courts.

A bench of Chief Justice S A Bobde and Justices A S Bopanna and V Ramasubramanian would consider the writ petition filed by the statutory body for regulation of legal profession and education on July 22.

In its plea, the BCI sought disbursal of interest free loan upto Rs three lakh to lawyers and depositing of money directly into their accounts as relief measures for them.

It said out of 16 lakhs advocates enrolled with the different State Bar Councils in the country, many were first generation advocates solely dependent on regular income through court works. The very survival of these advocate has come into question in view of the present conditions, it contended.

"The prolonged closure of the courts and tribunals all over the country since March 2020 due to the lockdown declared by the Union and the various state governments to combat Covid-19 pandemic has resulted in depriving majority of the advocates their only source of income," the plea filed by advocate S N Bhat said.

The petitioner-body said about 25 to 30% of the advocates enrolled would be in need of immediate financial help.

It said the top court, which acted as parens patriae, can issue directions for the welfare of lawyers community to allow them full enjoyment of right to life guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution.

The petitioner also cited the Disaster Management Act, 2005, which provided for grant of financial relief including loans on concessional terms to the affected persons.