PBC for COVID vaccination centers in courts

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Bar Council (PBC) on Friday rejected the draft bill of The Anti-Money Laundering and Combating Financing of Terrorism AML-DFT Regulations for Lawyers and Independent Legal Professions 2021 and Oversight Body Regulations for Self-Regulatory Body of Lawyers 2021.

The 233rd meeting of the Pakistan Bar Council was held in its office at the Supreme Court building, chaired by its vice-chairman. It deliberated upon the provisions contained in the draft bills and expressed concerns regarding the proposed amendments requiring legal professionals to disclose certain information which is patently against the Constitution and the substantive law.

Needless to say, the communication between the client and the counsel is privileged and the same could not be breached directly or indirectly, the PBC said and rejected the proposed amendments. The council while keeping in mind the prevailing pandemic situation demanded that federal and provincial governments establish COVID-19 vaccination centres at all district courts and high courts throughout the country for early vaccination of lawyers.

Similarly, it unanimously decided that the Higher Education Commission should conduct the Law Graduates Assessment Test (LAW-GAT) without further delay, which is scheduled to be held on May 30, 2021.

In this regard, the attorney general of Pakistan and the chairman, Pakistan Bar Council, were gracious enough to use their offices to approach the NCOC and the HEC to ensure holding of LAW-GAT on May 30, 2021.