Advocates would abstain from attending court on July 11 and 12 to protest against the Higher Education and Research Bill proposed by the Centre, which allegedly takes away the power of Bar Councils and entrusts it to a committee to be formed under the Bill.
Separate resolutions to this effect were passed by the Madras High Court Advocates Association, the Tamil Nadu Advocates Association and the Women Lawyers Association.
The associations strongly condemned the human resource development ministry’s encroachment upon the Advocates Act 1961 and usurping of the powers, duties and functions of Bar Council of India and state bar councils.
The Higher Education and Research Bill is a Draconian Bill and questions the federal structure of the country and also interferes with state autonomy.
The associations demanded that the ministry exclude legal education and the Advocates Act from the purview of the Bill.