Secretary Legal Affairs to head committee on Comprehensive Insurance Scheme for Advocates

The Government has set up a five-member committee to examine the issues related to framing of a proper, structured scheme for providing of insurance cover to the advocates and also suggest modalities for the implementation of such scheme. Union Minister for Law & Justice has set-up the committee under the chairmanship of Secretary Legal Affairs. Other members of the committee will include a senior representative from the Department of Financial Services and representative of Department of legal affairs. The committee will also have one representative each from Bar Council of India and State Bar Councils.

In an order to this effect, Mr. Ravi Shankar Prasad has directed that the committee shall recommend a comprehensive insurance scheme for the welfare of the advocated all over India to address concerns relating to untimely death and medical insurance. It states that committee should submit its reports within three months and if the need be the committee may take opinion from all stakeholders including the representatives of the insurance companies to devise the proposed scheme. The committee shall also suggest the modalities of administration of the insurance scheme under a high powered body with adequate representatives of all stakeholders.

Earlier this month a delegation of lawyers led, among others by Shri Manan Mishra, Senior Advocate, Supreme Court of India, and which included Members of Bar Council of India and office bearers of various Advocates Associations met the Union Law Minister, Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad in connection with their concerns and demands. Union Minister had promised the delegation that the union government would seriously consider setting up of a structured scheme providing the security of insurance cover needs to address problem of untimely death and medical insurance cover. He said the scheme may include assistance from central and state governments as also involvement of State Bar Councils and in the representatives operating lawyer’s welfare fund.