Let clean lawyers alone contest Bar body polls: Madras High Court

CHENNAI: In order to purify the legal profession, clean candidates without political affiliations and criminal record alone shall be allowed to contest polls to Bar Councils in various states, including Tamil Nadu and Puducherry,  Madras High Court suggested last week.

Justice N Kirubakaran gave the suggestion on December 8, while passing further interim orders on a batch of writ petitions from the second-year students of the defunct Annai Medical College and Hospital in Sriperumbudur, seeking admission in some other government medical colleges.
During the course of arguments in the case on October 10, the judge came to know that certain people in white-and-black attire were seen at the college premises. Later, the judge was told that they were advocates engaged to help in retention/takeover of the college by two groups. The judge then issued a set of suggestions/queries.

When the matter came up for hearing on Friday, continuing his tirade against certain elements in the guise of ‘lawyers’ spoiling the credibility of the legal profession, he issued another set of suggestions to purify the profession. They included declaration of assets possessed by the aspiring candidates and their family members, with the details of income earned by them as advocates and from other sources during the past 10 years.

“If the above details are furnished, voters (other advocates) would be in a better position to understand the credentials of contestants. Candidates, involved in criminal cases where charge-sheet is filed and punishment of three years’ imprisonment is imposed, should not be permitted to contest,” the judge said.
“It is always advisable to verify the educational qualifications of the candidates and to know whether they have satisfied the Legal Education Rules, 2008, the judge said and directed the BCI to place the suggestions before Justice Anil R Dave committee appointed by the Supreme Court for the purpose.