New Delhi: The Advocates (Amendment) Bill, 2025, shall be processed afresh for public consultation, the central government said Saturday.
The Centre’s announcement comes after protests against the bill by lawyers across Delhi courts, including the high court and various district courts. Earlier on Friday, practising lawyers at the Karkardooma district court blocked roads during protests for the fifth consecutive day.
On Saturday before the Centre’s announcement, the Delhi High Court Bar Association (DHCBA) released a resolution signed by its president, senior advocate Mohit Mathur. The resolution stated that the DHCBA, during a meeting of its executive committee, unanimously resolved to condemn “in the strongest terms” the proposed Advocates (Amendment) Bill, 2025. It also urged lawyers to abstain from work or appearances before the HC, physically or virtually, on Monday.
“..the executive committee, which has been apprised of the protests across the country by members of our fraternity and that various High Court Bars have expressed strong reservations to these proposals, stands in solidarity with all our colleagues and thus requests its members and other lawyers to abstain from work and abstain from appearing before the High Court (both physically or virtually) for one day, i.e., on Monday, 24 February 2025,” the Delhi High Court Bar Association said Saturday after the PIB released an update on the bill.
“The Advocates (Amendment) Bill, 2025, was made available for public consultation on 13 February 2025, on the website of the Department of Legal Affairs, demonstrating the government’s commitment to transparency and broader engagement with stakeholders and the public,” the Press Information Bureau (PIB) said earlier on Saturday.
However, according to the latest press release on the PIB website, the government has, for now, decided to conclude the consultation process in light of the suggestions and concerns about the proposed law. Based on the feedback received, the draft bill, as revised, will be processed afresh for consultation with stakeholders, the government also said.
In response to this new development, the Bar Council of India, which is a statutory body under the Advocates Act, 1961, released a statement Saturday, saying that it welcomes the government’s decision to revise the bill, demonstrating the Centre’s “commitment to ensuring a fair, transparent and inclusive legislative process”.
The BCI also urged all Bar Associations and legal professionals to refrain from “premature protests or strikes”, the statement said.
“The government has demonstrated a constructive and receptive approach, and the BCI remains resolute in ensuring that the amendments to the Advocates Act, 1961, are made only after due consultation and in the best interests of the legal fraternity,” the BCI said in its statement.
Earlier on Wednesday, expressing “profound concern” over the proposed draft Advocates Amendment Bill, 2025, the Bar Council of India wrote to Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal, saying the bill would have grave implications for the legal profession if enacted in its current form.
One contentious provision flagged by the BCI was Section 4(1)(d), which allowed the Centre to nominate up to three members to the body. Other provisions it objected to included Section 49B, which allowed the Centre to issue “binding directions” to the BCI. Terming the provisions as “wholly unacceptable”, the BCI said that the BCI was designed as a “self-regulating body” and, thus, the provisions undermined its authority and independence.
(Edited by Madhurita Goswami)
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