New code of conduct for lawyers soon: BCI Chairman

HYDERABAD: The Bar Council of India is framing new guidelines drawn from overseas jurisdictions for ethical conduct of lawyers and would notify the new code by the end of this year, its Chairman and Solicitor-General Gopal Subramaniam said today.

"We are trying to frame new 'ethical guidelines code' based on international principles. The guidelines have been published in the draft form. Now it will be circulated widely for various stakeholders and we will go into it elaborately and notify the new code hopefully before the end of the year," he said.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the 17th Commonwealth Law Conference that began here, Subramaniam said it would be a brand new code which will be based on international principles that would be applicable to Indian conditions.

"We have drawn the new ethical guidelines from overseas jurisdictions particularly from South Africa which are meant for all lawyers in the country. The new guidelines are simple and easy to understand," he said adding the need for shifting to new model was felt because nobody had revisited the old guidelines which were framed in 1962-63.

"We decided to update the guidelines (on ethical conduct of lawyers) to make it more realistic. We have sent the draft code to various State Bar Councils so that we can have elaborate consultation and we are also sending it to the members of the judiciary, the BCI Chairman said.