Problems with the Advocates (Amendment) Bill, 2017

Although attempting to restore the lost reputation and glory of the profession and plug in the endemic malpractices therein, the Advocates (Amendment) Bill, 2017 seems to have arrived at solutions which are not only a threat to the independence of the bar but also seem to have been arrived at in a hurried fashion without proper application of mind. In the present paper, I shall attempt to appraise various sections of the Amendment, which strikes at the independence of the Bar. I shall end the paper with certain suggestions aimed at establishing various institutions and mechanisms which shall protect the independence of the Bar and help bring in the best practices to the profession.