Updated on: Thursday, June 14, 2012
The Bar Council of India said lawyers across would abstain from work on July 11 and 12 if legal education is not removed from the purview of the proposed Higher Education Research (HER) Bill.
The controversial HER Bill, which also aims at regulating the legal education system in the country, has been facing strong opposition from the apex lawyers' body which has termed it as a "clandestine" attempt by the HRD Ministry to "usurp" their powers.
BCI spokesperson S Prabhakaran alleged at a press conference here that the Human Resource Development (HRD) Ministry, in the garb of reforming the legal education system, is trying to pave the way for foreign law schools and law firms to come to India.
Terming the proposed Bill as "draconian, unconstitutional and undemocratic", Prabakaran questioned the need for such a bill saying the apex lawyers body has done a "good job" in maintaining the standards of legal education.
"What is the necessity for the HRD Ministry to interfere in our work ? We are doing a great job. We know how to handle the situation. We are maintaining the standards of legal education.
"This bill is draconian, unconstitutional, undemocratic, unwarranted and a nuisance," Prabakaran charged.
Prabakaran said if the Bill is not withdrawn or if legal education is not removed from its purview, the lawyers will come out on the streets in protest and may even resort to burning copies of the Bill.
He said BCI has directed all state bar councils and associations to send copies of their resolution against the HER Bill to the President, the Prime Minister, the HRD Minister and other ministries.