The Bombay High Court on Monday issued notice to the Bar Council of Maharashtra & Goa asking its response on the public interest litigation (PIL) seeking monthly stipend for junior lawyers.
A bench comprising Chief Justice Dipankar Datta and Makarand Karnik issued notices to the Bar Council of Maharashtra and Goa and the Advocates Welfare Fund Trust Committee apart from the Maharashtra government.
The bench has asked the concerned respondents to file their responses by March 14.
The PIL filed by advocates Akshat Desai and Ajit Deshpande through their counsels Asim Sarode and Ajinkya Udane seeks a monthly stipend of Rs 5,000 for the junior advocates.
"Junior lawyers are being severely hit economically by the Covid19 induced lockdown and pandemic. New lawyers face many difficulties in their initial years of practice," the petition highlights.
"Therefore looking at all the circumstances, Bar Council of Maharashtra and state government should provide assistance to all the junior lawyers across the state," the plea urged, adding, "Various High Courts across the country including Delhi, Tamil Nadu, Kerela, Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh already directed the respective authorities to provide assistance in monetary form to junior lawyers."
"Taking these into account, why not Maharashtra Govt and Bar Council are behind to provide this relief for us?" the plea reads.
Advocate Udane said that the Bar Council should use the provisions of the Advocate’s Act for the welfare of young lawyers. "There are enough funds available in the Bar Council. So they should use this fund for proper purpose like stipend for young lawyers. But yet they haven’t taken any step to do this," he argued. The matter would be next heard by the bench on March 14.
