'Government plans to liberalise legal sector for foreign law firms'

NEW DELHI: The government is mulling liberalisation of the legal sector by permitting foreign law firms to operate here, a senior government official said.

"There has always been a demand to liberalise the legal sector by permitting foreign law firms to operate in India. Although India has not yet made any commitments to liberalise the sector, but it is considering opening up the sector to foreign law firms," the Society of Indian Law Firms (SILF) said in a press release quoting Law and Justice Secretary P K Malhotra as saying at an event here yesterday.

Speaking at a session on 'Liberalisation of Legal Services' at the Indo-US Cross Border Investment Forum meet, the Law Secretary was also quoted as saying that efforts were underway to make arbitration law cost effective with minimum intervention of the courts in the country.

"The government is committed to take all the necessary steps to address the issues of foreign investors," he said at the event organized by SILF and American Bar Association.

Lalit Bhasin, President of SILF and Chair of the Conference, said the society proposes liberalisation of legal services but not commercialisation of the legal profession.

"SILF stands by the government in its policy of opening and liberalisation of legal services sector in India and no obstruction will be caused in the process," he said.