Jahanvi Agarwal
On 9th February 2024, the Supreme Court highlighted the necessity of establishing training institutes for aspiring lawyers, akin to judicial academies for judges across India. Justices Bela M Trivedi and Pankaj Mithal observed that it is customary for lawyers to obtain certificates from such training institutions before commencing their practice in many other countries.
Justice Trivedi emphasized, “If judges and magistrates have judicial academies, why not for lawyers? Not just prosecutors but every lawyer, unless they hold a certificate from a recognized law academy, should not be allowed to practice. This practice is prevalent in foreign countries.”
The discussion arose during the hearing of a bail plea by Souvik Bhattacharya, the son of Trinamool Congress State Legislator Manik Bhattacharya. The court took note of certain deficiencies in the legal representation provided to Souvik Bhattacharya during the trial court proceedings. It came to light that the accused surrendered before the trial court despite no summons being issued to him.
Moreover, the trial court had taken cognizance of the money-laundering case, and subsequently, the bail plea was rejected, a decision upheld by the Calcutta High Court, leading to an appeal before the Supreme Court.