[Exclusive]: Govt application for early hearing in the Foreign Law Firms case to be listed before CJI Dipak Misra

Supreme Court Registrar Sanjay Parihar today directed that the application filed by the Central government for early hearing in the foreign law firms case be listed before Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra..With a view to pushing the liberalisation of the Indian legal market, the Union of India had moved an application in the Supreme Court in the AK Balaji case, seeking an early hearing of the matter..It now appears that the application is likely to be listed before the CJI within three weeks..The application, filed by MK Maroria (Advocate on Record) and drawn by Swarupama Chaurvedi, stated that the Bar Council of India (BCI) has already drafted the Rules for the entry of foreign lawyers, but is waiting for the outcome of the case..The government further submitted,.“the civil appeal is very unlikely to be listed in the immediate future and the matter being utmost importance in the present time, it is necessary to be decided at the earliest possible”..In this regard, the Centre had prayed for an early listing of the matter..The debate over foreign law firms entering India had reached the Supreme Court in July 2012, when BCI had filed an appeal against the decision of the Madras High Court. In 2015, the apex court granted leave in two appeals – one filed by the Bar Council of India and the other by Global Indian Lawyers..The Court had also directed the Central Government to file an application to list the matter as and when any developments take place..Read UoI Application for Early Hearing in AK Balaji case.Click here to download the Bar & Bench Android App