Mangalore : The members of Mangalore Bar Association staged protest in front of Court on Jan 20, Friday against the withdrawal of the Higher Education and Research Bill 2011, introduced by the Central Government and demanded the independence of the Lawyers.

Addressing the protest, SP Changappa, president of Mangalore Bar Association said that the bill provides for total control of the legal Education including prescribing of the syllabus and curriculum by a National Commission for Higher Education and Legal Education including the prescribing the syllabus and curriculum is taken away. It is in a way of intruding in the autonomy and independence of the legal profession.

He also said that the Mangalore Bar Association is highly concerned and disturbed about the provisions of the aforesaid Bill, the Association has discussed its implications in the emergent meeting of the Association held on Jan 19, 2012 at 2 pm in its office at Mangalore unanimously Resolved.

The advocates in Mangalore to condemn the alleged attack on a advocate recently Bangalore.

He said that the Governments have been facing strong opposition on several vital issues from the lawyers and under these backgrounds on several vital issues from the lawyers and under these backgrounds the present Government is trying to curb the independence of legal and to have a direct control over the lawyers, legal profession and legal education.

The power to take Disciplinary action against lawyers was attempted to be taken away and the proposal was to give this power to some bureaucrats or outsiders so that the Government could be at liberty to misuse this power. Hence the Mangalore Bar Association resolves to oppose tooth and nail this draconian and highly condemnable proposals contained in the Bill, he said.

 Many advocates including Ivan D’Souza were present at the protest.