Supreme Court Ruling on Criminal Cases
The Supreme Court has made a significant ruling that lawyers cannot be summoned for questioning in criminal cases by investigating agencies.
A bench consisting of Chief Justice of India BR Gavai, Justice K Vinod Chandran, and Justice NV Anjaria made this decision in a suo motu case regarding the arbitrary summoning of advocates by investigating agencies.
While lawyers are not immune from investigation, a distinction must be maintained between professional legal advice, which is protected, and instances where a lawyer may be involved in criminal conduct.
The Court issued certain directions but refrained from providing guidelines or requiring Magisterial supervision before issuing summons.
Author's summary: Supreme Court protects lawyers from arbitrary summoning.