Kochi: The Bar Council of India (BCI) on Wednesday said that the lawyers would be “forced to strike work”, if the Union Government took a unilateral decision on allowing entry of foreign law firms and lawyers into the country without “reciprocity clause”.

“Even if the government takes such a decision, we will not allow this if there is no reciprocity clause. The BCI is looking at this problem with an open mind,” BCI chairman S Gopakumaran Nair told a press meet here.

With India under pressure from various countries, including the US, UK and Australia to allow foreign law firms and lawyers to practise in India, the BCI is holding a two-day national joint consultative conference here from November 17 to discuss this and various other issues. Elected representatives of 18 state bar councils would be participating, he said.

The ministry of trade and commerce has been consulting the BCI to obtain its views on the subject. Representatives of the law society of England and the British government and also the representatives of the law council of Australia and the Australian government had visited the BCI office and held discussions.

Foreign lawyers come to India on tourist visas and clandestinely practise in the metro cities, he alleged. “We cannot stop it,” he admitted.

Gopalakrishnan said that while some feel preventing foreign law firms and lawyers into the country would lead to retarded growth, loss of opportunity and income for the Indian Bar, there are apprehensions that they would in due course dominate the legal profession.

The deliberations would revolve around whether the foreign law firms and lawyers be given entry into the country and if any restrictions need to be imposed in case they are allowed to practise, PG Thampi, Chairman, Bar Council of Kerala, said. The role of lawyers in Alternate Dispute Redressal and arbitration would also be discussed.

The issue of renewal of enrolment of advocates would also be discussed. The BCI feels that periodic renewal of enrolment should be made compulsory.

Source : Agencies