A bench of the Kerala High Court comprising Justice AK Jayasankaran Nambiar and Justice Shaji P Chaly has asked the Bar Council of Kerala to file a detailed statement of the Council’s proposal for distribution of funds to advocates amid COVID-19 Pandemic.
The bench was hearing a petition filed by two advocates, Mohammad Shah and P Abu Siddik seeking a declaration that the proposed Fund be made available not only to advocates enrolled with the bar Council of Kerala but also those who are not members of the Kerala Advocates welfare Fund Trust.
The petitioners have also sought a direction for immediate disbursement of funds to advocates who were facing hardship due to COVID-19 crisis.
The Petitioner’s Advocate, C R Syamkumar informed the bench that only half of the advocate who were enrolled with the Bar Council of Kerala have applied for the Welfare Fund trust whereas the Fund was created for the benefit of all the Advocates.
The bench has asked the Bar Council to file its report within a week and the matter has been scheduled for next hearing on April 15.
-India Legal Bureau