T.N. CM Stalin calls for total withdrawal of Advocates Amendment Bill

DMK President M.K. Stalin demands withdrawal of Advocates Amendment Bill 2025, criticizes BJP for undermining legal profession autonomy.

DMK president and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Sunday (February 23, 2025) demanded the total withdrawal of Advocates Amendment Bill 2025 and appealed to the Union government to respect the autonomy of the legal profession.

The Union Law Ministry had on February 22 put the draft Bill on hold and further announced that it would bring in a new draft Bill to amend the Advocates Act after receiving public feedback on the existing draft Bill.

In a social media post on Sunday, Mr. Stalin charged that the Advocates Amendment Bill 2025 was a “direct assault” on the autonomy of the legal profession. Since 2014, the BJP government has been “systematically undermining the independence of the judiciary,” he said.

Initially the BJP government tried to “hijack” judicial appointments through the National Judicial Appointments Commission and later it “ignored” the collegium’s recommendations for judicial appointments and transfers, he said.

By “seeking control over Bar Councils,” the BJP government aimed to “weaken judicial independence by eroding the autonomy of the legal profession,” he charged.

“The BJP’s aversion to ‘Tamil’ is evident in this Bill, as it wants to rename the Bar Council of Tamil Nadu & Puducherry as the Bar Council of Madras. Tamil Nadu is not just a name; it is our identity!,” Mr. Stalin said.

Though spontaneous protests and strong opposition to the Draft Bill forced the Union government to withdraw it, “the rider that it will be reconsidered and processed afresh is condemnable,” the DMK president said.