Lockdown: Advocates' Association Of Bengaluru Writes To DGP Seeking Permission For Advocates To Commute To & Fro Their Offices [Read Letter]

The letter points out that under the relaxed guidelines issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs, select additional activities will be allowed w.e.f. April 20, 2020. These include activities carried out by "Self Employed Persons" such as electricians, IT repairs, plumbers, motor mechanics, carpenters.

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The Association has urged that this list is merely "illustrative" and thus lawyers, who are self employed, must be granted permission to travel to their offices.

"It is very categorical that services provided by self employed persons are permitted to operate and as an example few services are stipulated. Examples are illustrative and never exhaustive.

Advocates are self employed and therefore fall within the category which is allowed to operate," the letter states.

In view thereof the Association has requested the DGP to direct the police personnel to permit the Advocates to travel, at the strength of their Bar Council issued ID cards.

"Kindly issue necessary written instructions to the police personnel to permit Advocates/ Lawyers to travel to their respective office in verification of their identity card issued by the Advocates Associations and Karnataka State Bar Council, be treated as sufficient for the purpose of identification and oblige," the Association wrote.

States/UTs Cannot Dilute Restrictions Under COVID-19 Lockdown Guidelines : Home Ministry

Earlier today, the Delhi Bar Association had also addressed a similar letter to the Delhi CM, urging him to permit Advocates to commute from their residence to their offices, while strictly following prescribed norms of social distancing.

Read Letter