The Outgoing President of the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) raised concerns about the growing impact of political parties on bar association elections. This trend is seen as a possible threat to the independence and integrity of the legal profession. The President highlighted the importance of bar associations maintaining their apolitical stance and concentrating on upholding justice and legal ethics.
New Delhi: Senior Advocate Dr. Adish C Aggarwala, the outgoing President of the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA), has raised apprehensions regarding the significant participation of political parties during the recently concluded SCBA elections.
In a written communication to the newly elected SCBA President, Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal, Dr. Aggarwala emphasized the importance of maintaining an apolitical and non-partisan stance for the Bar, urging Mr. Sibal to ensure its preservation during his tenure as President.
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Dr. Aggarwala conveyed to the newly appointed SCBA President, Kapil Sibal.
“During my public interviews, I expressed my strong disapproval of the participation of political parties in this election. It is disheartening to witness political parties actively engaging in the SCBA presidential elections for the first time, which casts a negative light on our legal system. If political parties continue to intervene at the Supreme Court Bar Association level, it is likely that they will eventually extend their involvement to all Bar Associations in India. This division of lawyers along political lines within our Bar Associations will compromise our ability to safeguard the interests of our Bar members,”
Dr. Aggarwala extended his congratulations to the former Union Law Minister, for his resounding victory in the election. He highlighted that the Congress party and its allies openly expressed their support for Mr. Sibal, while the BJP backed another candidate, Senior Advocate Pradeep Kumar Rai, according to Dr. Aggarwala. Furthermore, Dr. Aggarwala pointed out that upon Mr. Sibal’s election, he received congratulatory messages on X from Congress leader Jairam Ramesh and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin.
Jai Ramesh stated,
“Kapil Sibal’s election as President of the Supreme Court Bar Association by a landslide represents a significant victory for liberal, secular, democratic, and progressive forces.”
Similarly, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin expressed his support on X, noting,
“The triumph of Kapil Sibal guarantees that the bar’s independence and our cherished constitutional values are protected. We trust his leadership to maintain the justice and democratic principles deeply valued by the Indian populace.”
The previous President, who emerged victorious in the previous elections against renowned lawyers such as senior advocate Dushyant Dave, former Solicitor General Ranjit Kumar, and former Additional Solicitor General Rakesh Khanna, highlighted the fact that the newly elected SCBA Executive will serve a term of two and a half years as mandated by the Delhi High Court ruling in the Lalit Sharma & others vs Union of India case.
Additionally, the President urged Kapil Sibal to promptly initiate measures to amend the voting rights in SCBA elections, ensuring originality of content.
He stated,
“The continuation of the case in the Supreme Court, Civil Appeal No 3401/2003 titled Supreme Court Bar Association vs B.D. Kaushik, which is scheduled for 15.7.2024, now rests with you. Nevertheless, I assure you of my complete support in facilitating any democratically empowering changes for the SCBA members, acknowledging the importance of each individual.”
In his capacity as the President of the SCBA, Dr. Aggarwala emphasized his continuous efforts to safeguard the “Independence of the Bar and our constitutional values.” He stressed that these endeavours were not limited to a particular group of lawyers with vested interests but also extended to interactions with the judiciary.
Dr. Aggarwala declared,
“As the President of the apex bar, I have diligently safeguarded the independence of the Bar and our constitutional values against both certain interest groups of lawyers and the judiciary. I would like to mention that I wrote to the Honorable Chief Justice of India, applauding the decision to overturn the scheme but also highlighting the procedural errors in the Electoral Bonds case.”
He further added,
“Given the reluctance of wealthier Bar members to support our younger and less privileged lawyers, I felt it was essential to secure life and medical insurance schemes for them from the Government.”
Dr. Aggarwala noted,
“During my presidency at the SCBA, the lack of support from wealthier members for junior lawyers compelled me to seek assistance from the Central Government. Following my appeal, the Honorable Union Minister for Law & Justice committed to providing life and medical insurance for lawyers.”
He also emphasized,
“I urge the new SCBA President, Kapil Sibal, to fulfill his intentions of engaging major corporations to support young and needy lawyers through their CSR initiatives.”
Dr. Aggarwala, who also serves as the Chairman of the All India Bar Association, highlighted this during his address.