Union Minister of State (In Charge) for Law and Justice Arjun Ram Meghwal has said that the Advocates Act, 1961 would soon be amended.
Speaking as Chief Guest at an event held by the General Counsels’ Association India (GCAI) on Friday, Meghwal said the General Counsels (GCs) made significant contributions to the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by adding to all its baskets of consumption, investment and exports.
He added that the amendment would prove beneficial for General Counsels (GCs).
Organised on theme rethink, redefine and re-evolve legal profession in India, the event focused on granting statutory recognition to General Counsel (GCs), akin to that of practicing advocates under the 1961 Act.
GCs are chief legal officers of companies or organisations, entrusted with the responsibility to oversee all legal matters and provide legal advice to executives and management. They further ensure that the organisation complied with all applicable laws and regulations.
Speaking with the GCs, Meghwal asked them to provide him with a Strength, Weakness, Opportunity, Threat (SWOT) analysis of their vocation. The GCs said the only weakness they had was the lack of statutory recognition.
Meghwal then observed that the GCs had many strengths, one weakness and multiple opportunities.
Noting that GCs deserved statutory recognition, Society of Indian Law Firms (SILF) president Dr. Lalit Bhasin urged the GCs to try the administrative route for the same.
In case it didn’t work, the GCs could file a writ petition for statutory recognition, said the senior lawyer, adding that if the law officers of the government could appear for private parties, then GCs could do the same.
Dr. Bhasin further said that the purpose of a law school was to train students to become good lawyers. He concluded by saying that serving the society was an inherent part of the legal profession.
Speaking as Guest of Honour, retired Supreme Court judge and Chairperson of the News Broadcasters and Digital Association (NBDSA), Justice AK Sikri stressed on the increasing importance of GCs in India with the advent of the free market. He further lauded the GCs for their strong knowledge of the country’s regulatory framework.
Retired Supreme Court judge, Justice Hima Kohli, who was also attending the event as the Guest of Honour, said the Indian legal ecosystem must now navigate opportunities while addressing challenges of digital transformation.
She further highlighted the critical role of GCs in the fast-evolving legal landscape, especially in the view of Generative AI.