Bombay High Court seeks response from State, Bar Council on stipend for junior advocates
The Bombay High Court has requested responses from the Maharashtra government and the Bar Council regarding a petition for a mandatory stipend for junior advocates. The court noted that financial instability during the early years of legal practice contributes to a significant 'brain drain' in the profession.
Why it matters
The case addresses systemic economic barriers that prevent young lawyers from entering or remaining in the legal profession.
The Kolhapur Bench of the Bombay High Court has issued notices to the Maharashtra government and the Bar Council of Maharashtra and Goa (BCMG) on a petition seeking a structured financial assistance scheme for junior advocates.
A Division Bench of Justices Milind Jadhav and Nandesh Deshpande directed the respondents, including the Chief Secretary of Maharashtra and the Secretary of the Law and Judiciary Department, to file their responses by August 24. The court asked them to specify the measures taken or proposed to provide financial assistance to advocates with less than three years of practice.
The court observed that the issues raised by the petitioners merited consideration in the larger interest of the young advocate community. It noted that the Supreme Court had described the first two or three years of practice as a period of turmoil that often compels capable advocates to abandon the profession.
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