A bench of Justices Bela M Trivedi and Pankaj Mithal of the Supreme Court suggested to creating institutes to train advocates similar to judicial academies for judges in India.

The bench noticed lapses in the handling of a bail plea by lawyers in a money-laundering case involving Souvik Bhattacharya, son of a Trinamool Congress legislator. Despite surrendering without a summons, the trial court took cognizance and rejected the bail plea, upheld by the Calcutta High Court, prompting an appeal to the Supreme Court.

The bench highlighted that, in various other countries, it is customary for lawyers to obtain certificates from training academies to practice law.

The bench said “If judges and magistrates have a judicial academy, why not for lawyers? Not just prosecutors but every lawyer unless they have a certificate from a recognised law academy should not be allowed to practice. This is there in foreign countries”.