The Kashmir Advocates Association has approached the Supreme Court with a petition seeking the establishment of a Bar Council for Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. A Bench comprising Justice Vikram Nath and Justice Sandeep Mehta, on Friday, directed the Central government and the Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh High Court to respond to the plea.
Currently, the region lacks a formal Bar Council, and lawyers in Jammu and Kashmir can only become members of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court Bar Association. The petitioners have highlighted that, unlike other states, there is no government-established body in the region where lawyers can enroll and access the benefits of a Bar Council as stipulated under the Advocates Act.
This is the second petition addressing the issue, as the Court is already handling a similar petition filed in 2022 by Jammu-based advocate Supriya Pandita. The 2022 petition raised concerns about the absence of a regulatory body for lawyers in the region. The Supreme Court had issued a notice on that plea in July 2022.
The petitioners argue that the lack of a Bar Council in Jammu and Kashmir hampers lawyers from obtaining necessary benefits and recognition, which are available to their counterparts in other states.
The Court’s response to the plea is awaited as it continues to examine this long-standing issue affecting the legal community in Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.
