Only 25% lawyers in Punjab, Haryana submit documents for verification

Source:- timesofindia.indiatimes.com

CHANDIGARH: Giving some credence to the recent statement of Bar Council of India (BCI) chairman Manan Kumar Mishra that around 45% advocates in the country were fake, only 21,700 out of 85,000 registered lawyers with the Bar Council of Punjab and Haryana have submitted their documents for verification till now.

Asked by the Supreme Court to complete the lawyers’ verification by January 31, the bar council has completed barely 25% of the job till date.

The apex court had asked all state bar councils to conclude verification of all advocates registered with them to weed out fake advocates.

The BCI has framed Certification and Place of Practise (Verification) Rules, 2015, under which state bar councils have to verify the original certificates of all lawyers by January 31. Accordingly, lawyers have to submit their records of valid degree, licence, five cases and vakalatnama (power of attorney) in which they have appeared in the past one year. Advocates from Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh are registered with the Bar Council of Punjab and Haryana.

Expressing concern, BCI member Amit Rana said, “Only 25% advocates have submitted their applications is a matter of concern. It shows that something is not right.”

Explaining delay in verification, Bar Council of Punjab and Haryana chairman Jaivir Yadav said, “The problem is that educational institutes are also charging a verification fee of Rs 400 to Rs 600 per application. The bar council is short of funds.”

Expressing dissent, Bar Council of Punjab and Haryana’s former chairman Rajat Gautam claimed the process was delayed deliberately. “The problem of fake advocates is rampant but verification drive is intentionally not completed because elections have not been held in 0 state bar councils. The strategy of Bar Council of India is to get it deferred again, because in the absence of any data of genuine advocates, elections cannot be held,” he said.

Many in the legal fraternity feel that more than fake advocates, the problem is primarily of non-practising advocates. According to Bar Council of Punjab and Haryana president Harpreet Brar, “Non-practising advocates are misusing their licence. A person who has licence to practise is legally not entitled to practise any other profession according to Advocates Act. But majority are violating it. The verification process would weed out those.”

Jaivir Yadav added, “We are tracing those institutes which are giving law degree to students without attending regular course. These institutes are providing law degrees without fulfilling 75% attendance criteria.”