Latest news with #BarCouncilofKerala
Time of India
4 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Police chief suggests conduct protocols for cops within court premises in Kerala
Kochi: The state police chief (SPC) has submitted a report to high court suggesting three protocols to improve the conduct of police personnel within court premises. The report recommends that police personnel must not arrest any individual within a court hall without the express permission of the presiding judicial officer, unless such arrest is essential to prevent an imminent offence. It also proposes the creation of a permanent channel of dialogue between the Bar and police in every district to resolve differences and foster a professional relationship. This mechanism would include the president of the Bar Association or another respected member of the Bar and a nodal officer not below the rank of deputy superintendent of police, designated by the district police chief. The third suggestion in the report is that strict departmental action should be taken in cases where police personnel unjustifiably assault or verbally abuse advocates. Similarly, it recommends that the Bar Council of Kerala take strict disciplinary action when advocates are found guilty of similar conduct against police personnel. The report was filed in response to a HC directive in a suo motu petition initiated, taking note of the rising number of altercations between police personnel and lawyers within court premises across the state. In that order, the court had directed the SPC to submit a report after consulting stakeholders, including the Bar Council of Kerala and the president of the Kerala High Court Advocates' Association (KHCAA). Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Eid wishes , messages , and quotes !
Indian Express
5 days ago
- General
- Indian Express
At 46, this Kerala homemaker gets a law degree, enrolls as advocate: ‘I realised education gives dignity in society'
When M Ambika enrolled as an advocate with the Bar Council of Kerala on June 1, it was a defining moment in the 46-year-old's life. A mother of two who had failed her Class 10 exam in 1994, this native of Thrissur in Kerala had to fight societal scorn and navigate competing demands of home life and academics to achieve her lifelong dream of securing an LLB degree. 'It was the firm decision to gain education that made me attain this dream. Otherwise, I would have been confined to being a homemaker,' she tells The Indian Express. 'I had realised that education gives dignity to a person in society. My family stood with my decision, although many in society scoffed at attending college at this age. Their ridicule only strengthened my resolve.' Abika's enrolling herself as an advocate marked a new phase of her life: having been married by 18 and a mother of two by the time she was 22 years old, Ambika enrolled herself in the state's continuing education programme and completed Class 10 equivalency in 2009 and Class 12 equivalency in 2018 finally enrolling herself into a five-year LLB course in 2019 at the age of 40. Last year she secured her degree after passing her exam with 60 percent marks. For Ambika, becoming an advocate marks an end of a long journey, where the odds were seemingly stacked against her right from the start: having lost both her parents when she was young – mother when she was age 1 and father at 8 – she was raised by a grandmother who fell ill, forcing her to rely on her older sister, a sweeper with the Indian Railways. 'While a high school student, I was put in a hostel at Ottapalam. I was previously a brilliant student but being an orphan shattered me. Soon, I lost interest in studies and failed the Class 10 exam in 1994,' she says. At age 18, Ambika was married to N V Ayyappan, a native of Mannambetta village in Thrissur who ran a cassette shop and a telephone booth. With him she had two children – a son and a daughter – and was happy. 'But our happy days were short-lived. The daughter, the youngest child, had multiple health issues. She was partially hearing impaired. We went to several hospitals in Kerala and outside for her treatment. Our entire savings was used up in her treatment,' she says. After enrolling their daughter in a special school, Ambika and Ayyappan began working at a firm that made polymarble idols of deities. In 2009, Ambika met literacy promoter Omana Thankappan at a local panchayat reading room in Thrissur. This chance meeting changed her life. Omana says: 'The literacy classes were held at the reading room and I asked her to join the Class 10 equivalency programme. She was reluctant because of her daughter's health issues but I encouraged her to join the programme'. By then, Ambika was eager for more. 'It rekindled my old dream to excel in life. I wanted to study further and my husband kept encouraging me,' she says. But she had to wait until 2017 for the state to start the Class 12 equivalency programme at Mannambetta village. 'While attending Class 12 programme classes, I kept away from work. My husband wanted me to focus on my education although classes were held only Sundays. In 2018, I passed the Class 12 exam with a high score. I wanted to continue my studies and decided to join a five-year LLB course,' she says. After a short entrance coaching programme in Thrissur, Ambika managed to get into the law programme at the Al Ameen Engineering College in Palakkad's Kulappully. 'When I joined the class, I was 40. I sat among students who were my children's age. It was a remarkable experience. The students saw me as an older sister and cleared all my doubts,' she says. Despite this, college was another battle. Not only did she have to complete her chores and undertake an hour-and-a-half's train journey to college each day, she also had her daughter. She also frequently faced the scorn of neighbours, who wondered why she wanted to study 'at this age'. 'At home, I did not have time to study. I could open books only after she fell asleep. So, I studied on the train,' she says. But there were also perks. For one thing, by this time, her son Ananthu – a postgraduate student in English – could help with her academics. 'During his school days, I would have his doubts cleared. But when I was studying law, our roles reversed and he helped me,' she says. For another, her husband continued to support and encourage her to finish her education. 'On many occasions, he became a mother to my daughter. He also took over the running of the family to help me achieve the dream,' she says.
New Indian Express
6 days ago
- New Indian Express
Instagram reel lands newly enrolled Kerala advocate in trouble, BCK issues show-cause notice
KOCHI: A moment of pride turned into a moment of peril for a newly enrolled LLB student. After securing his enrolment in June, the student celebrated the milestone with a slickly edited video capturing the occasion. However, one creative choice — including a visual of a High Court judge's official vehicle and number plate — backfired. Later, this sparked a row, prompting the Bar Council of Kerala to issue him a showcause notice. The BCK chairman stated that there is a growing trend of taking photos and videos on High Court premises after enrolment and uploading them on social media platforms. As a result, the BCK has issued a circular cautioning all newly enrolled advocates. In the notice to the advocate from Thrissur, who uploaded the controversial reel, the BCK stated that a video is widely circulated on WhatsApp and other social media platforms showing the official vehicle of a judge of the Kerala High Court and then other visuals of the enrolment function. 'The video amounts to advertising and soliciting, which is demeaning to the dignity of the judiciary. The intention of the usage of visuals of the official vehicle of a judge is ill-motivated and mischievous against the judiciary,' stated the notice. The Bar Council of Kerala is prima facie of the impression that the acts of the advocate amount to misconduct and would be liable to be proceeded under Section 35 of the Advocates Act. Hence, a showcause notice is issued against him to explain why action should not be initiated against him.
The Hindu
6 days ago
- General
- The Hindu
Bar Council of Kerala issues show-cause notice to newly enrolled lawyer
The Bar Council of Kerala (BCK) on Wednesday issued show-cause notice to a young lawyer who was enrolled four days ago, for circulating a short video on social media on his enrolment ceremony which shows an official vehicle of a High Court judge. In the show-cause notice issued to Mohammed Fayiz from Chavakkad, Thrissur, the BCK secretary said that the video amounted to advertising and soliciting, and demeaning the dignity of the judiciary. The use of the video of the judge's vehicle is ill-motivated and malicious. The BCK is prima facie of the view that the act amounts to misconduct, and that he is liable to be proceeded against under Section 35 of the Advocates Act.
New Indian Express
04-05-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Bar Council issues notice to Kerala HC lawyers body chief
KOCHI: The Bar Council of Kerala (BCK) on Saturday decided to issue a show-cause notice to Advocate Yeshwanth Shenoy, president of the Kerala High Court Advocates' Association, asking why disciplinary action should not be initiated against him for a Facebook post critical of Justice T R Ravi. The BCK stated that the post violated the Standards of Professional Conduct and Etiquette. Yeshwanth Shenoy had made remarks against Justice T R Ravi, who had dismissed his petition challenging the disciplinary proceedings initiated against him in connection with an incident in Justice Mary Joseph's courtroom in 2023. The first suo motu case against Shenoy was initiated by the BCK based on a letter sent by Justice Mary Joseph, now retired, on February 9, 2023, in which she alleged that Shenoy had shouted at the court, harassed it, and compelled the court to record his submission. Advocate Ajith T S, chairman of BCK, stated that if Shenoy's explanation regarding the latest incident is found unsatisfactory, the council will initiate separate proceedings against him.
