SCAORA emphasised that Venugopal is “a widely respected member of the legal fraternity”, whose professional integrity was recognised when he was designated as a Senior Advocate earlier this year.“These actions by the ED, we believe, amount to an impermissible transgression of the sacrosanct lawyer-client privilege,” SCAORA stated, warning that such coercive measures could have a chilling effect on the entire legal community.The Association urged the Supreme Court to act decisively, examine the legality and propriety of such summons to legal professionals, and “safeguard the constitutional and professional protections afforded to advocates.” It also called upon the Court to lay down guidelines to prevent further erosion of lawyer-client confidentiality.SCAORA further stated that the role of an advocate in rendering legal advice is both privileged and protected, and any interference by investigative agencies strikes at the core of the rule of law.The letter concluded with an appeal to the Supreme Court to uphold the independence of the Bar and curb any misuse of executive power that could undermine the dignity of the legal profession.Arvind Datar, similarly, had been summoned by the ED in connection with advice he had given to a client during an ongoing investigation.
Source link
