Supreme Court Seeks Input on Bar Council for Jammu & Kashmir

The Supreme Court of India has requested responses from the Centre and Bar Council of India regarding a petition for a Bar Council in Jammu and Kashmir, highlighting the necessity of such a council for law regulation in the region.

The Supreme Court on Friday called for responses from the Centre, the Bar Council of India, and other stakeholders in response to a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking the establishment of a Bar Council in the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir.

A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta acknowledged the arguments presented by senior advocate Javid Shaikh, who represented the Kashmir Advocates Association. Notices were issued to various parties including the Centre and the Registrar General of the High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh.

The PIL underscores the importance of having a state bar council, a statutory entity responsible for enrolling law graduates and overseeing legal practice within the state. The senior lawyer emphasized the absence of such a body in Jammu and Kashmir, suggesting that welfare measures, like government-issued stamps typically endorsed by a bar council, are impacted.

(With inputs from agencies.)