The plea contends that the legal profession cannot “be taken over by foreign market forces to defeat the ends of justice nor justice dispensation system be subjugated to such forces”.
It argued that the BCI’s decision is also in violation of the ‘treaty of reciprocation’ as there is no reciprocity between India and other countries whose law firms will now be able to work in India and this will affect the young lawyers practising here.
“Several Bar Associations, NGOs, associations of advocates, group of advocates and individual advocates are opposing opening of field to foreign law firms and foreign lawyers to get the registered under the Advocates Act, 1961 as an Advocate which makes them entitled to even appear in Courts, Arbitrators, Tribunals, quasi-judicial authorities, etc,” the plea said.
It added,
“Obviously, the Bar Council of India takes care about· the interests of the entire fraternity, however, in the present circumstances, the issuance of the impugned notification clearly reflects their mindset which would definitely going to harm the interests of young lawyers or the advocates who would not be able to compete establishment of foreign lawyers hence, it violates the competitive norms established under the competition law of India.”
Source: Barandbench
