Supreme Court Takes a Stand: Protecting Lawyers from Summons

The Supreme Court has embarked on a suo motu case to examine the circumstances under which investigation agencies summon lawyers providing legal opinion or representation in legal cases. This significant move is intended to safeguard the autonomy of the legal profession in India.

This action came after the Enforcement Directorate drew criticism for summoning high-profile lawyers like Arvind Datar and Pratap Venugopal in relation to money-laundering investigations involving their clients. The ED later restricted such summons, subjecting exceptions to director approval, and the Supreme Court took notice of these developments.

A bench led by Chief Justice B R Gavai, with Justices K Vinod Chandran and N V Anjaria, plans to delve into this pressing issue when the court reconvenes. The court recognizes the potential threat to justice administration and lawyer independence if police or probe agencies directly question lawyers for client-related advisement.

(With inputs from agencies.)