By Our Correspondent
PESHAWAR – The Executive Committee of the Pakistan Bar Council (PBC) has unanimously opposed the proposed amendments to the Legal Practitioners & Bar Councils Act, 1973, which sought to increase the required length of practice for contesting Bar Council elections.
During its meeting held on January 31, 2025, in Peshawar, the Committee reviewed the draft proposal sent by the Ministry of Law and Justice, Islamabad. The proposed amendments suggested increasing the minimum practice requirement for contesting Provincial/Islamabad Bar Council elections from five years to ten years and the total standing as an Advocate from fifteen years to twenty years.
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Additionally, the proposal sought to increase the standing requirement for Pakistan Bar Council membership from five years to ten years as an Advocate of the Supreme Court.
However, the Pakistan Bar Council strongly disapproved the proposed changes , stating that the existing length of practice is already sufficient for eligibility. The Committee argued that increasing the requirement would unfairly disadvantage young lawyers by restricting their participation in Bar Council elections.
The Council emphasized the need to encourage young legal professionals, recognizing their active contributions to the welfare of the legal profession and the Bar. It reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring equal opportunities for all lawyers in the governance and decision-making processes of Bar Councils.
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