Overview

• The Supreme Court declared that lawyers hired solely to give legal advice to clients under investigation cannot be summoned by probe agencies.
• It held that only counsel suspected of actively facilitating criminal conduct may be questioned in investigations.
• A bench led by Chief Justice Gavai asked the Attorney General and Solicitor General to review formal proposals from the Supreme Court Bar Association and the Advocates-on-Record body.
• The matter is scheduled for further hearing on August 12, when the Centre must respond to the proposed guidelines.
• Bar associations have urged that any summons of lawyers receive senior agency approval or magistrate oversight to preserve lawyer-client privilege.