The Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA), which has been marred by controversies and an early dissolution in January, finally elected a committee and president as Ram Jethmalani rose to victory today by defeating his rival Raju Ramachandran by 367 votes.
Jethmalani told Legally India immediately after his election: "I am very happy and thankful to the people who voted for me. I will serve the bar to the best of my capabilities."
Jethmalani said that he would announce his priorities for his term shortly.
Sanjay Bansal was elected secretary with 379 votes and P K Jain has been elected as the vice president with 641 votes. Anil Huda has been elected as assistant secretary and K K Mani as treasurer.
A total of 1225 votes were polled out of total 3258 eligible voters in the SCBA.
Jethmalani's election comes after several incumbent contenders decided not to stand for election and helping Jethmalani to be elected by a wide margin this time.
Former SCBA vice president Adish Aggarwala and senior advocate KTS Tulsi had both withdrawn their candidature. Both had made public statements in support of Jethmalani's candidacy.
It is understood that several Supreme Court bar leaders had wanted Jethmalani to be elected unopposed but just two days before the last date of filing the nomination, Ramachandran decided to fight the elections for the post of president.
Former Vice Chairman Adish Aggarwala expressed his happiness with the result, telling Legally India: "Ram Jethmalani had been favoured just to fight corruption and this is the victory of an ordinary lawyer who is looking forward to an independent body which can represent the true interests of lawyers."
Jethmalani has said in the run-up to his election that he would examine a series of controversies surrounding the functioning of the SCBA.
In January of this year the SCBA executive committee had been dissolved after it was found that some members of the bar were inducting lawyers into the SCBA by paying their membership fees in order to create vote banks.
After dissolution of the SCBA, a three-member interim committee comprising of senior advocates K.K Venugopal, P.P. Rao and P.H. Parikh, took over the functioning of the association
In February, the interim board annulled the membership of 1,485 new members voiding their induction into the SCBA in September and December of last year.
Former SCBA secretary Pareena Swarup was accused of confirming the memberships of these lawyers in violation of the norms. The board found evidence of bogus members and sponsored applications aimed at creating vote banks.
A total of 153 advocates' membership fees were paid through the bank account of one associate working with a senior advocate.
Following the annulments, cases were filed in Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana which were later stayed after the SCBA approached the apex court. Finally, the Supreme Court stayed all proceedings relating to the election to lawyers body of the apex court pending in various trial courts.
Breaking: Ram Jethmalani elected as SCBA president to repair damage done
Friday, 07 May 2010 22:21
Bar, Bench & Litigation
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On a more serious note, I remember hearing Mr Jethmalani at a panel discussion a few years ago where he had expressed support for the entry of foreign law firms. Let's pray that foreign law firms will come in soon and that Mr Jethmalani will support them.
Thanks
Arun Kumar
Advocate
9868161005
Dear Friends,
After a long time the Supreme Court Bar Association (INDIA) is privileged to chaired by a legal legend like Mr. Ram Jethmalani (Senior Advocate-Supreme Court of India, Professor Emeritus, Former Union Minister, & Chairman- Bar Council of India) this is an opportunity for the members of the Executive Committee to work under the guidance having vast knowledge of law and experience in different capacities. Being a member of SCBA its pride for me and hoping that, the moral values and rule of law will be restored from the office of SCBA itself.
Presently the SCBA is completely deviated from its aims and objects and since last decade what happened with the office of the SCBA resulting big controversy regarding the functioning of the Executive Body is known to every members, lodgment of some FIR and legal action by the Registrar of Societies itself reflects that how the office was misused, but I don’t find the concerned persons of previous Executive Bodies who were instrumental for such scenario are taking any moral responsibilities, rather they quarreled on the issues of funds of the Association which generated from the contributions of their own collogues.
After a long time I having hope that the 'Ram Rajya' will restored the glory of SCBA and Legal Profession by the knowledge, experience, reputation and his uprightness.
After some the members who opposed his election by 'tooth and nail' they themselves feel the difference in the facilities provided by SCBA as well as role of bar.
By the above feeling I take opportunity to Congratulate to Respected Mr. Ram Jethmalani (whom I find Guardian of Bar) and Members of newly elected Executive Body as well as to thanks to the Members of SCBA for this change and hope that while discharging their duties they will take pain for the SCBA by ignoring the other considerations.
Ravi Shankar Kumar
Member SCBA, &
Treasurer, Supreme Court Advocates Association,
Ph. 9013329444, 9868110039
email:
Mr Ram Jethmalani has not only won the election of the president post of SCBA but hearts of all upright and independent common lawyers. Most of practicing lawyers of the Supreme Court were fed up with corruptions, divide and rule policy adopted by some of the senior advocates, cowardliness and timidity shown by some of the well known Senior Lawyers to please the Hon’ble benches and to serve their own interest, No we choosen to bring back the old glory in SCBA and succeeded in it as we elected best deserving persons among contestants for the different posts of SCBA.
We salute all lawyers who stood firm on their convictions and who did not get influenced by different malicious rumors propagated by some of the well known faces of the Bar(every body knows them). We firmly believe that lawyer must be courageous, outspoken and upright irrespective of knowledge or commitment. We firmly believe that person who cannot fight for right has no right to be called as lawyer. We condemn some of the Senior Lawyers who showed bad light to the members of the SCBA and acted shamelessly to pursue their own goal . They cannot command respect from the members of SCBA . They lowered the dignity and lost the faith imposed on them and respect they got earlier. Some of the top Senior Advocates, instead of guiding us at the hour of need acted contrary to the interest of SCBA and tried to propagate their own agenda and also tried to enforce illegal and unacceptable things shamelessly. They did not stop here but further tried to create rifts, tensions and divisions among the members of the SCBA in name of region, religion , types of advocates to serve their vested interest and false ego. In this election member of SCBA have shown solidarity and commitment towards strong and clean BAR . We hope that unscrupulous persons will take lesson from it and mend their ways in the larger public interest.
That for unity, integrity and dignity of member of SCBA Shri..Ram Jethmalani has set the example by agreeing to contest the election at need of hour despite his old age (86 yr). We member of SCBA elected him with thumping majority and made the history in the life of the SCBA that one can win elections without incurring any undue expenses or giving parties, or bribing like it happened earlier.
Honesty, Truthfulness, Integrity and Dignity has been restored this time. We hope this new tradition will be followed in future election also.
I on behalf of Supreme Court Practicing Lawyer Forum I congratulates all members of the SCBA who has made it possible . We sent strong massage to all unscrupulous elements to desist from all future elections or they will bite the dust . United we stand united we will win all hurdle and we will be able to restore the respect and supremacy of SCBA
Now Lion become president of the SCBA, he came out of Den to restore the confidence in Bar , we each and every member of forum now feel safe and secure from the foxes and jackal present in human face in the SCBA.
Arun kumar
Convenor
Supreme Court Practicing Lawyer Forum
9868161005/9868169956/9968892860
27556538/27550731
Congratulations to Mr Ram Jethmalani. However, I would be a little concerned. What with the spate of recent controversies he's been embroiled in. His comments at a meeting with state representatives which rubbed certain mid-eastern premiers the wrong way.. his recent 'confrontation' with Ms. Kamini Jaiswal.. his choice of certain cases which may tend to spur some ethical debates..
At the end of it all, I just hope the Bar Association knows better than to elect a person only based on their past achievements. Of course, there is no doubting that Mr Jethmalani and Mr Ramachandran are both distinguished lawyers and worthy candidates for the post. Having said that, I hope that the only reason Mr Jethmalani has been voted in is because of the members' faith in him being able to serve the office. Not because of his name / legacy.
sher(Lion) bano ya Sher(LION) ke sath raho
Ram Bano ya ram ka sath do...
Congratulation to Darling of Bar Shri Ram Jethmalani
I appreciate the fact that you want to share the political antecedents of the elections that we were all quite oblivious about. If the state of affairs were in fact as melodramatic and perverse, we hope the association will now be better equipped to pull itself out of the doldrums.
[...]
"It's better to light a candle than curse the darkness."
you have made some very serious charges like accusing lawyers of bribery etc. can you substantiate what you are saying? it is not right to tarnish people without any evidence.
Wren and Martin for sure. And someone else posting a blog ... who wrote the 1st draft? Someone else? :-)
Thanks for your remarks.
Ravi Shankar
If wishes were horses, beggars would ride...
My humble request to the President is to clear the clouds over membership to the SCBA..
I request all the people, who are commenting on my comments “ be BRAVE AND COURAGEOUS “ enough to disclose your name. Anonymous comments is nothing but commenting while hiding inside the ..... it shows persons standings and cowardliness. Please Do not post anonymous comments atleast on my comments. I do not respond to shadow boxing.
Be courageous in criticisms as it is healthy for development of thoughts and opinions.
By giving Numbers and name, I took responsibility for contents of posts, it is not like people who is making comments but hiding himself under a veil.
Giving telephone number is not advertisement but our commitment and responsibility for our comments.
Arun kumar
As much as it warms our hearts that you have displayed such valor in making strong allegations on a rather neutral forum where nobody seems to be in a position to either verify their veracity nor pose any counters, it would do you good to understand that nobody here is "attacking" you "from the shadows".
Since your posts have appealed to the curiosity in all of us, because, like I said - we don't know what the hell you're talking about - please clarify whatever you posted earlier. That's all.
For instance,
If I was to post in my comment how I thought an association had deprived its members of this-and-that and had been corrupt in its practices and had... [...]
To neutral readers like us, it makes very little sense.
On the other hand, if you could appraise us all of what actually happened, we would be in a better position to relate to your posts and not just stare at our screens with quizzical expressions.
As an advocate, I sincerely hope that it is the rationale in the comment which appeals to you and not the name of the poster. The same way that I hope it was Mr Jethmalani's capability to serve his office which earned him your vote and not just his name.
Besides, I speak for myself here - but I feel no shame in admitting that beyond trying to understand what you posted, I do not wish to drag myself into any controversy where I do not belong.
At the cost of repeating myself - if you have anything to say, please stop beating around the bush and do not make high-flying allegations that we can't understand. Just say it as it is and we'll lend you an ear. Otherwise, your posts just come across as bitter and needlessly political.
PS - Are you, perhaps, a friend of one Mr GV?
Is it illegal / unethical / against convention (or whatever) for lawyers to advertise? How else does one let people know of one's existence? And why does everyone post anonymously. Use a nom de plume, if you don't want to reveal your real name.
@#3
Obviously the ability to communicate in English is not a pre-requisite to shine at the SC. Perhaps the owners of this website could add a spell check and grammar correction to help those finding it difficult to write grammatically correct English so that we can understand what is being published.
the matches should be podcast live on legally india.
Asking a person to disclose his/her identity may be justified if personal defamatory attacks have been made against you. However, if the anonymous reference is with respect to the contents of what you have written - then how does it matter who wrote that? [...]
Forget the grammatical errors for a moment. You talk about courage. Did you have the courage to name the corrupt officers and the cowardly and timid senior lawyers?
Posts like the ones at #7 and #8 reduce your own image. If they have to come from lawyers who are members of the Supreme Court Bar Association, it speaks poorly of the overall standards of the members themselves, which is quite sad considering that the Supreme Court is the highest court in the country.
Please take immediate effort to update the web-site of SCBA. It's really pathetic to see that web-site of Bar Association of Apex Court is not updated for long. Hope the new office bearers will bring glory to the office of SCBA and not only will get full co-operation from all bar members but also get due respect from the Hon'ble Judges and proper treatment from the Registry for he purpose.
Best Wishes,
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