The Madras High Court expressed anguish this week that the condition of the “noble” legal profession in the country has become ” worst ” and lamented that lawyers today had earning money as “the only aim” .
Justice N Kirubakaran made this observation while hearing a plea filed by two lawyers Lenin Kumar and Bhaskar Maduram which is challenging Bar Council of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry’s new guidelines for participating in the elections to the body.
The petition was filed in the Madurai bench of the high court.
Justice Kirubakaran has said that a decision on the case will be given out by a bench consisting of Justice R Tharani and himself later in the week.
The court orders had been initially scheduled to be delivered on February 12. The petitioners requested for the order to be released immediately as the last date for filing nominations was due, but Justice Kirubakaran stated the order was still being prepared.
Legal Profession’s Honor “Spoiled”
Justice Kirubakaran then observed that some lawyers were “spoiling the honour” of the legal profession, adding that such decline had particularly taken place in the past eight years.
He further noted that someone who has failed to clear eight standard had managed to receive an MA degree via open university, become an advocate and “even” set up an association. Such people have put up big cut-outs in the vicinity of the high court in connection with election along with “retired judges and IAS officers”, he stated.
The judge expressed concern that “high profiled persons” were supporting such persons, noting that without CISF security cover the high court might have faced “worst” situation.
New Rules For Eligibility
In January this year, the special committee of the council cleared a resolution that has introduced new rules to govern the election, which is set for March 28.
Under the new guidelines, only those advocates who have been practising continuously for 10 years will be eligible to contest the election. Additionally, the guidelines bar all those lawyers
- who have been punished for contempt of court or
- holding posts in any political party or
- who have founded a party, or
- who are facing disciplinary proceedings before the state bar council .
