The bill is part of Central government’s endeavour to repeal “all obsolete laws or pre-independence Acts” that have lost their utility.
On Monday, the Lok Sabha approved the Advocates (Amendment) Bill, 2023, aiming to annul the Legal Practitioners Act of 1879 and make modifications to the Advocates Act, 1961.
Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Law and Justice, Arjun Ram Meghwal, introduced the Bill in the Rajya Sabha on August 1, and it received approval from the upper house on August 3.
This legislative move aligns with the Central government’s initiative to revoke outdated laws or pre-independence Acts that no longer serve a purpose.
The Bill suggests streamlining the regulation of the legal profession under the Advocates Act, 1961, while eliminating the Legal Practitioners Act, 1879, except for a provision addressing touts in courts.
Furthermore, it incorporates the provisions of Section 36 (empowering the framing and publication of lists of touts in courts) from the Legal Practitioners Act, 1879, into the Advocates Act, 1961, with the goal of reducing unnecessary enactments in the legal framework.