Union Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal has confirmed that the Advocates Act, 1961 will soon be amended to benefit General Counsels (GCs) by granting them statutory recognition similar to practicing advocates. Speaking at a GCAI event, he emphasized the importance of GCs in India’s legal and economic landscape. Legal experts, including Justice (Retd.) AK Sikri and Hima Kohli, also highlighted the growing role of GCs in the digital era. “You have many strengths, one weakness, and multiple opportunities,” Meghwal assured, signaling a major shift for in-house legal professionals.
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NEW DELHI: Arjun Ram Meghwal, the Union Minister of State for Law and Justice, shared that the Advocates Act, 1961, will soon be changed. He was the main guest at an event organized by the General Counsels’ Association India (GCAI).
Meghwal hinted that this change in the law will be good for General Counsels (GCs). The event mainly talked about giving GCs the same legal recognition as practicing advocates under the 1961 law. The theme of the event was to “Rethink, Redefine, and Re-evolve” the legal profession in India.
General Counsels (GCs) are the chief legal officers of companies and organizations. They handle all legal matters, give advice to company leaders, and make sure that companies follow all laws and rules.
Meghwal requested GCs to wait patiently as the amendment could be introduced very soon.
During an interactive discussion, he asked GCs to prepare a SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) about their profession. The GCs told him that their biggest weakness was the lack of legal recognition and urged him to change that.
Hearing their concerns, he responded:
“You have many strengths, one weakness, and multiple opportunities.”
The Minister also emphasized that GCs play a major role in boosting India’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by contributing to different economic sectors like consumption, investment, and exports.
He further stated:
“I asked my bureaucrats if it will be detrimental if GCs are statutorily recognized. They had no answer.”
At the same event on January 31, Dr. Lalit Bhasin, the President of the Society of Indian Law Firms (SILF), also shared his views.
He said:
“I see no reason why you (GCs) can’t file a writ petition for statutory recognition. If the law officers of the government can appear for private parties, why can’t you appear?”
However, he advised the GCs to first try administrative methods before choosing legal action. He also strongly supported statutory recognition for GCs.
The senior lawyer also highlighted how serving society is an important part of the legal profession.
“Purpose of law school has to be to bring trained students to become good lawyers. It is inherent in this profession that we serve society, service element automatically comes,” he said.
Two former Supreme Court judges, Justice AK Sikri and Justice Hima Kohli, were the guests of honor at the event.
Justice (Retired) AK Sikri, who is now Chairperson of the News Broadcasters and Digital Association (NBDSA), talked about how GCs have become more important in India, especially after the introduction of the free market economy. He also praised their deep understanding of India’s legal rules and regulations.
Justice (Retired) Hima Kohli highlighted the crucial role of GCs in today’s fast-changing legal system. She spoke about how technology, including Generative AI, is transforming the legal field.
She said:
“Our legal ecosystem must now navigate opportunities while addressing challenges of digital transformation.”
Several other prominent legal experts also participated in the event, including Senior Advocate Pinky Anand, Dr. Shardul Shroff (Executive Chairman, Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas & Co.), Amit Singh (Partner, Linklaters), and Harsh Pais (Partner, A&O Shearman, London).
They all shared their insights on why in-house counsels should receive statutory recognition.
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