‘If Judges Can Undergo Training at National Judicial Academy, Why Not Lawyers’: SC

The Supreme Court on Friday suggested that if judges can undergo training at the National Judicial Academy, then lawyers should also have a similar opportunity.

The Court emphasized that all advocates should undergo compulsory training and should not be permitted to practice unless they possess a certificate from a recognized law university.

The observation came during the hearing of the bail plea of Souvik Bhattacharya, the son of Trinamool Congress (TMC) MLA Manik Bhattacharya, who was arrested in connection with the West Bengal teachers’ recruitment “scam”.

Senior advocate Sidharth Luthra, representing Bhattacharya, informed the Court that a bail application was filed by one of the lawyers in the trial court despite the absence of a summoning order.

The bench, comprising Justices Bela M Trivedi and Pankaj Mithal, remarked that there should be a law academy for lawyers similar to the ones for judges. It emphasized the need for proper education and training for lawyers, including senior advocates.

The Court suggested that unless lawyers have a certificate from a recognized law university, they should not be allowed to practice, citing similar practices in foreign countries.

The bench orally directed Additional Solicitor General S V Raju, representing the Enforcement Directorate (ED), to verify if there was any summoning order passed by the court and scheduled the matter for hearing after a week.

Last year, on December 21, the Apex Court sought the ED’s response on a plea filed by jailed TMC MLA Manik Bhattacharya and his son seeking bail in the case related to alleged irregularities in teachers’ recruitment in West Bengal.

Manik Bhattacharya was arrested by the ED on October 11, 2022, after night-long questioning. He, a former chairman of the West Bengal Board of Primary Education, was arrested for allegedly not cooperating with the investigation. He is an MLA of the ruling TMC from the Palashipara seat in Nadia district.

Earlier, the Supreme Court had dismissed Bhattacharya’s plea against his arrest by the ED in connection with alleged irregularities in the recruitment of primary school teachers in West Bengal, stating that the federal agency’s action was not illegal.

The ED is tracing the money trail in the alleged scam, while the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is investigating the alleged irregularities committed in the recruitment process. The investigation alleges that several individuals who performed poorly in the recruitment examinations were appointed as teachers in exchange for money, while eligible candidates were overlooked.