BCD chairman writes to Ram Vilas Paswan, opposes inclusion of lawyers under Consumer Protection Act

Bar Council of Delhi (BCD) Chairman KC Mittal on Monday wrote to Union Consumer Affairs Minister Ram Vilas Paswan, opposing the framing of rules to include lawyers under the ambit of the Consumer Protection Act 2012.

"As per the information available, your ministry is framing rules under the Act and wants to surreptitiously include the lawyers under the proposed rules so as to bring the lawyers across the country within the jurisdiction of Consumer Redressal Forum. This is highly deplorable and the lawyers across the country will never accept their inclusion within the definition of the provisions of Consumer Protection Act," Mittal said in the letter.

He stated that the legal profession is an integral part of the justice delivery system and is not a commercial or trade activity, and the legal professional cannot be included for any purpose under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019 "or the rules as is being contemplated".

"We have serious objection to it and request you not to proceed with any such proposal of inclusion of lawyers within the definition of Services under the said Act or the rules. However, if any such step is pursued further, the matter can be taken by the entire legal community across the country to take a final view in the matter," the letter read.

"We hope, you would kindly drop bringing any such provision to include lawyers within the definition of Consumer Protection Act 2019 or the rules to be made there-under," it said.