According to a statement released by the Ministry of Law and Justice, India and the United Kingdom held the Joint Consultative Committee (JCC), where both countries agreed to facilitate the exchange of experiences and best practises in the areas of commercial court operations and alternative dispute resolution mechanisms.
India and the United Kingdom also agreed that training and capacity-building programmes for legal advisers, draughtsmen, judicial officers, prosecutors, and legal professionals would be conducted in reputable institutes and in a timely manner.
On July 10, 2018, the Governments of India and the United Kingdom signed an MoU to promote bilateral cooperation in the fields of law and justice.
Joint Consultative Committee
“A Joint Consultative Committee (JCC) has been constituted in terms of the MoU to carry out its objectives by firming up the way forward in areas of cooperation. The third in-person meeting of the JCC was held at New Delhi on 18th August 2022 at New Delhi,” according to the statement.
The Indian delegation was led by Law Secretary Niten Chandra, while the UK delegation was led by Jo Farrar, Second Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Justice. The meetings were co-chaired by both Leaders.
The subject of framing regulations for entry of UK Law Firms and Lawyers under the MoU was discussed separately in the Legal Services Committee (LSC) meeting held later that day on August 18, 2022.
‘Enhanced Trade Partnership’
In its meeting, the Legal Services Committee (LSC) recalled the outcome of the India-UK virtual summit held on May 4, 2021, between the Prime Ministers of India and the United Kingdom, and the launch of the ‘Enhanced Trade Partnership’ (ETP) to unleash the trade potential between the two countries, who had also agreed to facilitate each other’s market-access concerns, including the opening of the legal services sector in India, on a reciprocal basis.
The British High Commissioner to India, Alex Ellis, also attended the LSC deliberations. The meeting was held in a friendly atmosphere, with both parties appreciating each other’s concern for the challenges of the legal services sector’s opening.
“The President Law Society of England and Wales along with her team joined the meeting virtually. She explained in detail the regulations which determine the areas of court practice and legal advice by non-UK qualified lawyers,” the statement reads.
It further added, “Secretary BCI, emphasised the responsibilities vested in the Council to protect the rights, privileges and interest of lawyers, whom they represent. However, the representatives of both the countries appreciating the potential benefits of the opening up of the legal services sector to the respective economies, agreed in principle to work together to find common ground for benefit of all stakeholders.”
