Apparently, according to the Hindustan Times, Bar Council of India (BCI) chairman Manan Kumar Mishra thinks that the potential but still very tentative plan of the government to allow foreign law firms to open up in special economic zones (SEZs) is an attempt by the government to undermine the BCI.

That view is quite similar to that of the Society of Indian Law Firms (Silf), which has already objected to the tiny SEZ rule tweak, that may or may not by itself be enough to allow foreign firms to set up shop in SEZs.

Legally India (@LegallyIndia) tweeted: "After Silf, BCI too is up in arms about possible plan to let foreign law firms into SEZs"

Govt’s move to revoke SEZ ban on foreign law firms irks lawyers Hindustan Times

The Bar Council of India — the apex body of lawyers that regulates the legal profession — and a top confederation of law firms have both lodged protests with the ministry of law and justice over a recent move of the government to revoke a ban on foreign law firms in special economic zones.

What has irked lawyers is an amendment in the Special Economic Rules governing SEZs notified by the ministry of commerce and industries on January 3, 2017 that will allow multi-national law firms and possibly legal process outsourcers (LPOs) to set up shop inside SEZs. Earlier, legal services and accounting firms were excluded from the list of companies that could set up shop in SEZs.

The BCI will lodge a formal protest with the government next week while the Society of Indian Law Firms (SILF) has already met law and justice minister Ravi Shankar Prasad and objected to the development. “We will pass a formal resolution and lodge a protest. There are repeated attempts by the government to undermine the Bar Council,” BCI president Manan K Mishra told HT.