Bar Council of India Allows Foreign Lawyers & Law Firms to Advocate in India
The Registration fee for a foreign lawyer is fixed at US$25,000
NEW-DELHI: In a major development, the Bar Council of India (BCI) has decided to allow foreign lawyers and law firms to practice in the country in areas such as foreign law, international legal issues, international arbitration etc. The BCI said, "This would benefit both Indian and foreign lawyers."
To achieve this objective, the apex body of lawyers has notified the Rules for Registration of Foreign Lawyers and Foreign Law in India and Regulation-2022. The notified rules stated, "Advocacy in India is open to foreign lawyers in various fields of foreign law, non-litigation international legal matters and international arbitration and this will help in the development of the legal profession and sector in India and the lawyers here will also get benefit.”
According to news agency IANS, foreign lawyers or foreign law firms will not be entitled to practice in India unless they are registered with the Bar Council of India. The registration fee for a foreign lawyer is fixed at US$25,000 and the fee for a foreign law firm is US$50,000.