Latest news with #(Amendment)Bill
Business Recorder
18-07-2025
- Politics
- Business Recorder
Practitioners, Bar Councils (Amendment) Bill: Senate body passes significant amendments
ISLAMABAD: The Senate Standing Committee on Law and Justice, unanimously, passed significant amendments to the Legal Practitioners and Bar Councils (Amendment) Bill, 2025, aimed at strengthening the credibility, transparency, and operational timelines of bar councils across Pakistan. The parliamentary panel met with Farooq Hamid Naek in the chair, here on Thursday. After a detailed clause-by-clause review, the committee, unanimously, approved the bill with amendments. Under the new provisions, the elections for Bar Councils will now mandatorily be held on the first Saturday of November, and in no case beyond the second Saturday of November. This change institutionalises predictability and uniformity in the electoral process across all provincial and federal bar councils. The bill also introduces stricter eligibility requirements for candidates contesting Bar Council elections. After a thorough discussion between 7 and 10 years it was decided that a candidate must be enrolled as an advocate of the High Court for not less than 10 years. The candidate must have successfully handled at least 30 individual cases. Disqualification of membership will be upon individuals convicted of an offence involving moral turpitude, or sentenced to imprisonment for two years or more (unless released at least five years ago), will be disqualified from contesting. Another major development under the amendment is the allocation of Bar Council seats for the newly-merged districts into the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. These seats will be included in the group of districts as specified under Sub-Section (2)(b) of Section 5 of the Act, ensuring their rightful representation. Bar Councils play a pivotal role in upholding constitutional supremacy, the rule of law, and the independence of the judiciary. Therefore, it is imperative to introduce a robust and transparent mechanism to ensure that only candidates with the requisite expertise and experience hold office in these prestigious bodies. According to statement of objects and reasons of the bill the Bar Councils play a pivotal role in upholding constitutional supremacy, the rule of law, and the independence of the judiciary. Therefore, it would be judicious to introduce a robust mechanism and transparent requirements for becoming office holders of Bar Councils. These amendments would ensure that candidates possess the requisite expertise and experience to fulfill these critical responsibilities effectively. In addition, this amendment provides the share of seats for newly-merged districts into the Province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as prescribed in the group of Districts given in the Schedule made under Sub-Section (2)(b) of Section 5 of the Act. Other constitutional amendment bills on the agenda were deferred. The meeting was also attended by senators, Syed Ali Zafar, Ahad Khan Cheema, Abdul Qadir, and Khalil Tahir. Federal Minister for Law and Justice Azam Nazir Tarar, along with chairmen of various Bar Councils and other key legal stakeholders, were also present. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Time of India
13-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Guv gives assent to 16 of 18 bills; two more pending
Chennai: Governor R N Ravi has given assent to 16 out of 18 bills passed by the legislature in the session that ended in April. The exceptions were the Kalaignar University Bill, to establish a university named after former chief minister M Karunanidhi in Kumbakonam, and the Physical Education and Sports University Bill, which empowers the state to appoint and remove the vice-chancellor. "In all, Raj Bhavan has only two bills pending from the last session, and another two bills, the Tamil Nadu Fiscal Responsibility (Amendment) Bill and the Tamil Nadu Cooperative Societies (Amendment) Bill, pending since 2024. All cleared bills have been notified in the gazette," said an official. One of the approved bills allows use of the Goondas Act against those dumping bio-medical waste, particularly in districts bordering Kerala where such cases have been increasing. Another bill protects farmers, women, and women's self-help groups from aggressive loan recovery tactics used by microfinance institutions and other lenders. Violators face imprisonment ranging from three to five years, a fine of up to 5 lakh, or both. The Tamil Nadu Fire and Rescue Services Bill, 2025, replaces the Tamil Nadu Fire Service Act, 1985. Another law aims to decriminalise certain minor offences under the Urban Local Bodies Act. It introduces adjudication and compounding mechanisms to handle these offences. Another law regulates erection of hoardings, digital banners, and placards in rural local bodies. Some laws were changed to make the member-secretary of the Chennai Unified Metropolitan Transport Authority an ex-officio member of the CMDA; and to create the post of commissioner of urban development. Amendments to the Tamil Nadu Shops and Establishments Act aim to improve ease of doing business. They also decriminalise offences by replacing imprisonment and fines with penalties. The legislation also establishes adjudication and appellate mechanisms. Follow more information on Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad here . Get real-time live updates on rescue operations and check full list of passengers onboard AI 171 .
