BCI should abolish three-year law course, says judge
Madras High Court
Chennai: Observing that the legal profession is neither "an asylum for criminals nor law degrees shield for their criminal activities", the Madras high court on Tuesday suggested to the Central Government to amend the Advocates’ Act 1961 to cleanse the profession and to introduce five-year law course.
Justice N. Kirubakaran, before whom a writ petition by S.M. Anantha Murugan came up for hearing, said the profession was a noble one, but wondered what the plight of the legal profession in reality was. There were many instances which demonstrated that offences, including heinous, were being committed in the name of advocates, degrading the noble
profession.
The petitioner sought the court to prevent intrusion of persons having criminal antecedents without studying B.L degree, to maintain purity in the justice delivery system. The judge noted that legal profession is blighted by the entry of criminal elements.
Criminalisation among advocates was spreading like wild fire sullying, degrading and destroying the profession's image. The entry has to be stopped at the college level itself. Therefore, this court has duty to give unconventional directions addressing evils in the profession, he said.
Adjourning the matter to October 28, the judge said necessary efforts should be made to prevent criminalisation of the advocate profession. Otherwise, Goddess of Justice (neethi devathai) will not forgive all the stakeholders of justice delivery system.
( Source : deccan chronicle )
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