Kerala Bar Council seeks lawyer explanation on charge of bribing judges

Subject : Polity

Section :Judiciary

Concept :

Acting on a complaint forwarded from the Union Law Ministry, the Bar Council of Kerala on Monday decided to initiate a probe into the allegation that Kerala High Court Advocates’ Association president Saiby Jose Kidangoor has taken money from clients for allegedly bribing HC judges.

Bar Council of India

The Bar Council of India is a statutory body created by Parliament under the Advocates Act, 1961 to regulate and represent the Indian bar.
It performs the regulatory function by prescribing standards of professional conduct and etiquette and by exercising disciplinary jurisdiction over the bar.
It also sets standards for legal education and grants recognition to Universities whose degree in law will serve as qualification for enrolment as an advocate.
In addition, it performs certain representative functions by protecting the rights, privileges and interests of advocates and through the creation of funds for providing financial assistance to organise welfare schemes for them.
It consists of members elected from each state bar council, and the Attorney General of India and Solicitor General of India who are ex-officio members of the bar council.
The members from the state bar council are elected for a period of five years.
The Act provided for the constitution of Bar Council of India, State Bar Councils, their powers, enrolment, qualification, disqualification of Advocates etc.

State Bar Councils

The State Bar Councils are statutory bodies established under Section 3 of the Advocates Act, 1961.
These were set up as different councils for the states and union territories of India.
They act as regulatory bodies, making rules for the legal profession and education in their respective states and also act as the representatives of the advocates of that state, thereby acting in their interests.
The main functions of the State Bar Councils as specified under Section 6 of the Advocates Act are to act in the interest of the advocates, to bring in legal reform, to regulate the conduct of advocates, to establish funds and to oversee the Legal Education in the respective states among others.
They work in coordination with and under the supervision of the Bar Council of India, which is a national body established under Section 4 of the Advocates Act, 1961.