'Lawyers' services are not within the scope of consumer protection law', filed a petition and put the matter before the Supreme Court
Supreme Court: In a series of petitions, bar associations such as the Bar Council of India, Delhi High Court Bar Association, Bar of Indian Lawyers, and others have contested a 2007 ruling by the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission that stated that advocates and their services are covered by the Consumer Protection Act 1986. On Thursday, there was a discussion on this topic.
On Thursday, the Supreme Court was informed that, unlike doctors and hospitals, lawyers are not allowed to advertise their services, and as a result, the Consumer Protection Act does not apply to their services.
Senior advocate Narendra Hooda distinguished between the services rendered by a doctor and a lawyer, telling a bench of Justices Bela M. Trivedi and Pankaj Mithal that a lawyer's primary obligation is to the court because he must act as an officer of the court and not to his client. Hooda made this distinction while speaking on behalf of bar associations and other parties.
Several petitions have been filed challenging the 2007 ruling of the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC), arguing that advocates and their services are covered by the Consumer Protection Act, 1986. These bodies include the Bar Council of India, the Delhi High Court Bar Association, the Bar of Indian Lawyers, and other individuals.
The same issue was being debated on Thursday. Following HUDA's argument, the court said that when doctors can be brought to consumer courts for poor service or negligence then why can't lawyers be prosecuted.
