'England can offer global exposure to Indian lawyers'

Mumbai, Apr 10 (UNI) Bar Council of England and Wales chairman Geoffrey Vos today informed that Indian law firms and legal scholars can practise in English courts in accordance to the norms laid out by the English bar for foreign counsel.

Mr Vos, accompanied by a four-member British Bar team, is on a two-day visit to Mumbai. The British team has met the Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court, Advocate General and office-bearers of the Bombay Bar Council.

The British Bar, is interested in promoting mutual exchange of information for fostering professional relationship between the bar associations of both the countries,'' Mr Vos said.

The English legal community is just 14,000-strong while India has around 1.10 lakh advocates and solicitors, he pointed out while adding, ''This is an excellent opportunity for the bar to meet with brilliant legal minds in India.'' While noting that the bars of India and England have a common law tradition as their foundation, he said it is apt that ''we should work together to strengthen our judicial system and to expedite legal and professional developments'.

Replying to a query, Mr Vos said the British Bar at the moment is not looking to practice in Indian courts due to linguistic barriers.

However, Indian law firms and brilliant legal minds can utilise the services of the English courts and can practice after fullfilling certain criteria, he added.

With the Indian economy growing, it has become imperative for the Indian legal fraternity to get globalised and England can offer that global exposure to prospective Indian lawyers, he said.

Mr Vos informed that members of the British Bar regularly undertake similar visits and is closely associated with the US, Canadian and European Bar Councils to understand the legal developments in one other's region.

Mr Vos and his team will be visiting Kolkata and New Delhi next and interact with legal luminaries and Bar council members there.

UNI