Breaking: BCI to meet British PM’s delegates for liberalization talks

The liberalisation of the Indian legal market, something that has always seen as a few steps away from fruition, may very well take a significant step towards closure tomorrow. The Bar Council of India and delegates of the British Prime Minister will be meeting to discuss the possible signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Bar Council of India and Law Society, Bar Council of England and Wales..As per documents accessed by Bar & Bench, British PM Theresa May had written directly to the Prime Minister Narendra Modi regarding the MoU to be signed between BCI and Law Society on her trip to India. Subsequently, the British High Commission’s John Gould had informed the same to the BCI..This has prompted BCI Chairman, Manan Kumar Mishra to write to Modi, seeking clarity on the government’s inclination to sign the MoU. The MoU, finalised in January this year, seeks to “strengthen legal exchange” and “friendly cooperation” between the legal professionals in the two countries..Mishra told Bar & Bench that this MoU would be discussed tomorrow, as well as the possibilities of liberalisation..In May 2016, BCI had submitted the Draft Rules on the entry of foreign firms to the Ministry of Law and Justice and Ministry of Commerce. However, in an unexpected development, the Bar Council of India withdrew its own Draft Rules..The reasons cited by the BCI Chairman included the allegation that the Law Ministry and Commerce Ministry are involving private organizations like the ICCA in the debate over the opening of the legal market. These private organizations are being involved, according to the BCI, at the instance of some of bureaucrats particularly those in the Commerce Ministry and the Law Ministry..Taking its allegations forward, the BCI Chairman wrote to the Prime Minister on October 3, 2016 and complained about “some bureaucrats” making unnecessary remarks about the regulation of Indian and foreign lawyers..In his letter to Modi, where the PM is addressed as “My Lord!”, Mishra has placed the blame on the Indian bureaucracy..“A handful of bureaucrats sitting in the Department of Commerce and Department of Law are in the habit of making such reckless remarks to have another Regulator for the Legal profession and Legal Education.”.Mishra has also requested Modi for a meeting to discuss the liberalization issue. With the British PM expecting a signed MoU, and Mishra’s appeal to Modi, tomorrow’s meeting should certainly see a strong “difference of opinion” at the very least..Read BCI’s letter to PMO