A day before the Supreme Court hearing in the All India Bar Exam (AIBE), over 80,000 lawyers from 240 bar associations of the Madhya Pradesh State Bar Council have gone on a one-day token strike today to protest the exam, which they say is “unconstitutional” and causes unnecessary hardship on students.
All 25 members of the state bar council unanimously resolved and announced their decision to abstain from work in the courts during a meeting on 9 October. The members passed a resolution that was accepted and resulted in today’s strike that is going to affect legal proceedings in all courts in the state including the High Court and the lower courts.
The Madhya Pradesh State Bar Council Chairman Rameshwar Neekhra told Legally India: “We have organised a token strike today because we want to make the BCI realise the difficulties we are facing.”
He said: “We oppose the whole process wherein the state bar councils first grants the enrolment and after that the BCI holds the examination and grants the certificate without first amending the prescribed rules given under the governing Advocates Act.”
“Secondly, the private institution entrusted with this work has been aloof from us.”
“Law students come to us because they don’t receive proper information from the BCI, they get no response on the phone. What information can we disseminate to them if we ourselves are so confused?,” he added. “240 bar association, 85, 000 lawyers will be on strike today in the whole of MP. This is our way to show our resentment to the way the BCI has decided to conduct the examination.”
Law graduate Siddharth Seth who led the bar exam protest before the law minister in June and is based in Madhya Pradesh said: “We are very happy to receive support from the state bar councils. There is so much uncertainty and lack of clarity. I am yet to receive even an acknowledgment to the form I filled last month, leave aside getting the study material to prepare for the exam.”
Earlier in August, members from 11 state bar councils had in their meeting in Hyderabad decided to oppose the proposed AIBE and subsequently the Delhi Bar Council through its three-member committee submitted a white paper to BCI against the exam.
According to several sources the bar council of Maharashtra and Goa has made itself party to the impending writ petitions which have been clubbed together and transferred to the SC for hearing the bar exam matter.
The Supreme Court will hear the clubbed writ petitions challenging the bar exam tomorrow.
Photo by comedynose
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Advocates professional field is not easy one. Once u become advocate than also require long waiting period for cases & work.
Every case is an exam
That is hard fact.
These fake judges should be derobed first.
I am not against these exams but nothing seems to be organised here.. I hope the big wigs of this noble profession, academicians would do something to save our career..
i agree that students from national law schools, ILS, DU, etc. may have a minimum standard. But those colleges are only a tip of the ice berg. The degree shops that churn out lawyers by hundreds every year cant do much to ensure quality. let BCI do it. if you are scared of a simple exam, how can your clients rely on you?
the entire things seems like a shame to the profession
Kian, remarks such as "baccha advocates" is derogatory towards the Officers of the Court. Request you to kindly remove such posts.
All advanced countries have stringent national/state licensing exams for entry into various professions, incl the legal profession.
And they don't stop at that - every year you have to spend a minimum number of hours in updating your knowledge and skills (called "continuous professional development").
The public should be exposed to only licensed practitioners - who have attained a certain minimum level of knowledge, skill and expertise.
The petitions against the implementation of the All India Bar Exam (AIBE) will have to wait for a few more days as the Supreme Court has once again adjourned the matter to October 25, 2010.
The SC and Various Government bodies have recommended the right process for implementation of such an exam none not even of the recommendations have been followed by the BCI.
The BCI cannot usurp extra powers to make laws, while such powers are only enjoyed by the Parliament. There is no doubt that the exams are good for everyone but wrong means undertake to fulfill a right cannot be justified, let’s put it simply “it cannot take the law into its own hands”.
Giving the contract to a private company which has it origins firmly entrenched in the coaching business to conduct exams.
Now it is a duty to advocates of all other states to stand against BCI mockery.
We should organise more intense actions and put forward resolution against the whimsical chairman.
All are here to fill his own pocket.
How they can say after 5 years of study with their approved curriculum, "we are not upto the mark."Is not that questions about their own credentials ?
How they hold key positions with this type immature ideas ?
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