Foreign law firms can only advise foreign clients on foreign law: BCI

Bar Council of India also said that the new rules will help India become a global hub of international commercial arbitration

Issuing a clarification on the recently published notification allowing foreign lawyers and law firms to practise in India, the Bar Council of India (BCI) said they will be allowed to advise their foreign clients only on foreign laws.

"Foreign lawyers and Law Firms shall be allowed to advise their clients about Foreign laws and international laws only," the press release issued by BCI said. 

"They would render advisory work about such laws for their foreign clients only," it added. 

It added that they would be allowed to work only in non-litigation areas. These areas do not involve judicial process and