The writ petition against 31 foreign law firms in Chennai has been adjourned to 19 April following the Bar Council of India (BCI) having failed to hold a meeting to discuss the legal position of foreign lawyers.

Additional Solicitor General Raveendran told the court that BCI had not yet conducted its scheduled meeting with state bar councils to discuss the petition, according to lawyers present at today’s hearing in the Madras High Court. The government would not be able to file a reply until the BCI meeting. Senior counsel P S Raman representing the BCI did not appear in court today.

Senior counsel Datar appeared for the English law firm respondents and senior counsel Somaiyaji on behalf of Dua Associates and a number of US firms.

Somaiyaji also challenged the maintainability of the petition in the Madras High Court, which would be taken up at the next hearing on 19 April. The petitioner AK Balaji told Legally India that he was surprised that the judge did not object to Somaiyaji's contention.