Did not question BCI's regulatory powers, statements taken out of context: Abhishek Manu Singhvi on his ABA conference speech

Senior Advocate Dr Abhishek Manu Singhvi has said that he did not question the statutory powers of the Bar Council of India (BCI) to regulate legal education and the overall profession in the country during a recent speech he delivered..Singhvi, in response to a press release issued by the BCI taking issue with his comments at the American Bar Association (ABA) India conference held last week, has stated that his speech was taken out of context."It is rather unfortunate that my speech was taken completely out of context and has been misquoted in the media and on that basis the BCI has made certain comments. I wish somebody had duly heard my speech ... before making these unjustified comments.".The Senior Advocate said that his 20-minute address was focused on the broader challenges in legal education in the country, and that his statements were in consonance with those of BCI Chairperson Manan Kumar Mishra and Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju on past occasions."As a senior member of the Bar, I fully recognise and appreciate the statutory powers, duties, responsibilities and obligations of the Bar Council of India to regulate legal education and legal profession. I had no intention, nor was it my view to question these well-established powers of the BCI as a statutory regulator nor did I factually do so. ".The remarks in question were delivered during Singhvi's special address last Sunday on the topic Future of Legal Education: Glocalisation of Legal Profession? at the ABA conference.He had highlighted the multiple functions of the BCI, and suggested that a body of academicians or an autonomous national council look into aspects of legal education and the profession. He had said,"The elephant in the room must be addressed. It is big and powerful, it is the Bar Council. It has too many functions - law reform, disciplining lawyers, legal education and the vicissitudes of electoral politics. Sometimes there will be compromises in the discharge of these multiple functions. You can see I have used my words carefully. Either a separate broad based group of academicians including CJI should be set up, or a national assessment body independent of BCI needed"..The BCI subsequently termed the senior lawyer's suggestions as "unfortunate".In a press release signed by Chairperson Mishra and Vice-Chairperson S Prabhakaran, the Council alleged that Singhvi had intended to "sell the Indian legal education at the hands of a few so-called managers".Further, it had called on the Senior Counsel to shed his "superiority complex of foreign education"..In his response to the BCI, Singhvi has said that his remarks were only suggestions for a more sound legal education system."At no point of time in my speech, had I questioned or challenged the powers and jurisdiction of the BCI in relation to regulating legal education and legal profession...I made a suggestion that an empowered broad-based separate committee of academicians, chief justices, eminent lawyers should be set up or an independent and autonomous national council for legal education and research, generally created by or under the auspices of the BCI for reimagining legal education.".Dr. Abhishek Manu Singhvi bats for separate body independent of BCI to regulate legal profession.[Read Statement of Dr. AM Singhvi]