Due to worries about the potential negative effects on lawyers’ rights and independence, the Indian legal community has erupted against the proposed revisions to the Advocates Act 1961. These revisions were fiercely opposed by the Bar Council of India (BCI), which said they were anti-lawyer and an attempt to undermine the independence of the legal profession. It is believed that the revisions, particularly Sections 35A and 45B, violate the fundamental rights of lawyers and aim to criminalize their activities. As a result, this rebellion has received national attention, with legal experts calling on the Law Ministry of India, led by Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal, to immediately reverse these amendments.
Cause of the Protest
For certain reasons, the legal community remained steadfast, claiming that the proposed amendment bill was an insult to the profession. The following are the main concerns causing this widespread protest:
Criminalization of Lawyers’ Professional Conduct:

• Section 35A, one of the amendment bill’s most contentious clauses, suggests punishments so nebulous that they are referred to as “Advocate Misconduct.” According to its definition, the clause gives authorities the authority to criminalize certain behaviors and impose severe disciplinary measures on attorneys by superseding their professional rights. Because the definition of advocate misconduct is so ambiguous, there is concern that this clause may be abused to target attorneys who represent influential people, jeopardizing the independence of the legal profession.
• Criminal culpability is introduced under Section 45B for lawyer-perceived obstruction of justice. The clause, which grants authorities the authority to punish advocates for their actions in court, is viewed as a direct assault on the rights of attorneys. The Bar Council of India contends that these parts are employed as a means of intimidating attorneys and undermining their capacity to adequately represent their clients.

Violation of Fundamental Rights:
• Article 19(1)(g) of the Indian Constitution, which protects the freedom to pursue any career, is violated by the proposed revisions, which affect advocates’ fundamental rights. The government is by all means retaining the authority to exert unbridled influence over advocates through severe punishments and ambiguous definitions of malfeasance.
• Furthermore, by permitting the government to act arbitrarily against advocates without giving them a fair hearing, the laws violated the norms of natural justice. The legal world has called this an affront to constitutional rights and an unfair attack on freedom.
Undermining the Authority of the Indian Bar Council:
• The independent organization that oversees the legal profession in India is the Bar Council of India. The goal of the proposed amendment law is to provide other regulatory bodies more disciplinary authority. This action is perceived as an effort to undermine the independence of the Bar Council and the directly governmental-regulated legal profession.
• The Bar Council is adamantly opposed to the proposal because it would undermine the legal profession’s independence and encourage needless political meddling. Attorneys worry that their capacity to take on cases will be seriously jeopardized, particularly when those suits involve significant figures and government entities.
Attack on the Role of Advocates in the Justice System:
• Advocates serve as a bridge between the administration of justice and the legal services that citizens get. Lawyers will be less likely to embark on matters that go against the interests of the status quo as a result of the establishment of such severe laws against advocates, which have caused a fear complex in them.
• Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal, who leads the Law Ministry, has defended the revisions, claiming that they are necessary to establish discipline in the field. The legal community contends, however, that the Advocates Act of 1961’s current provisions are adequate to punish any misbehavior. Therefore, rather than enhancing the profession, the proposed modifications are perceived as undesirable and anti-lawyer, with the intention of undermining the independence of attorneys.
Danger to Access to Justice:
• The amendment bill indirectly impacts the general public who depend on attorneys for their justice by placing such onerous limitations and fines on them. Lawyers would be reluctant to take on delicate issues involving government officials, powerful individuals, or business executives if they were constantly threatened with punishment.
• The legal community cautions that these changes would discourage attorneys from representing their clients in situations that could pit them against powerful organizations and corporations. When regular people are denied access to true, equitable legal representation, the justice system will be debilitated, if not completely destroyed.
Nationwide Demonstrations and Calls
Lawyers nationwide organized protests and boycotted court sessions in response to the proposed modifications. The opposition, led by the Bar Council of India, is calling for the law to be withdrawn immediately. In a number of places, associations of attorneys have endorsed the campaign by stating that the legal profession must continue to be free from needless government intervention.
The demonstrators’ main demands are:
the complete removal of Sections 45B and 35A, which are meant to scare and harass them. the return of the Bar Council of India’s autonomous, politically unhindered authority to regulate the legal profession.
the protection of attorneys’ fundamental rights to practice law without being arbitrarily criminalized.
• Openness in legal reforms, guaranteeing that any changes made to the Advocates Act of 1961 are made after careful discussion with the legal community.
• the complete removal of Sections 45B and 35A, which are meant to scare and harass them. the return of the Bar Council of India’s autonomous, politically unhindered authority to regulate the legal profession.
• the protection of attorneys’ fundamental rights to practice law without being arbitrarily criminalized.
• Openness in legal reforms, guaranteeing that any changes made to the Advocates Act of 1961 are made after careful discussion with the legal community.
Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal and the Law Ministry are under a lot of pressure to reconsider the revisions as a result of the demonstrations. The legal community is unambiguous and adamant in its demand that the modifications be completely withdrawn, even though the administration has hinted at potential talks with legal representatives.
The legal community is currently unified against what they see as an anti-lawyer action that goes against the fundamental principles of justice, fair play, and professional independence. The government’s decision to adopt the Bar Council of India’s advice and remove the contentious modifications is still up in the air.
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