Pune advocate's licence suspended for 3 months over remarks on judiciary, Maharashtra governor

Mumbai, Nov 3 (PTI) The Bar Council of Maharashtra and Goa (BCMG) has suspended the licence of Pune-based advocate Asim Sarode for three months for his alleged critical remarks against the judiciary, the then-Maharashtra governor and the state legislative assembly speaker.

The BCMG's disciplinary committee held that Sarode, with his remarks, had committed "professional misconduct" under the provisions of the Advocate Act, a charge denied by him.

The order was passed on a complaint lodged against Sarode by one Rajesh Dabholkar.

According to the complaint, the Pune advocate, in his speech during a programme in Mumbai in March last year, levelled serious allegations and made remarks against the justice delivery system in India, the state assembly speaker and also the then-governor of Maharashtra.

While the order to suspend the licence (sanad) for three months was passed in August, a copy of the same was given to Sarode only now.

Terming the suspension order as bad in law, Sarode insisted he would file an appeal against it before the Bar Council of India, a statutory body that regulates legal practice and legal education in the country.

As per the complaint, the advocate used derogatory and defamatory words while addressing the speaker and the governor.

Sarode had opposed the complaint and argued he had only analysed the functioning of the speaker and then-governor.

The committee, in its order, noted that the remarks made by Sarode clearly undermined the authority of the judiciary and created an impression that our judicial system was under pressure and compromised and that there was a lot of corruption in the judiciary.

"Such statements made from a political platform while discussing a particular case which has already been decided by the Supreme Court sends a wrong message to society and public at large," it said.

"The respondent advocate (Sarode) has created an atmosphere of distrust and disrespect towards the judiciary by making such statements in a public meeting. We are of the opinion that the advocate has committed professional misconduct," the order maintained.

Sarode's conduct was "highly improper, reprehensible, condemnable and not befitting an advocate", the BCMG noted.

The council pointed out that since this was the first complaint against Sarode it was passing a "lenient" order.

BCMG serves as the governing body for legal practitioners in Maharashtra and Goa as well as the Union Territories of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu. It is responsible for enrolling advocates, issuing 'sanad' (licences for legal practice), and overseeing disciplinary matters within its jurisdiction. PTI SP RSY