India and UK held the Joint Consultative Committee (JCC), where both the countries reached to facilitate the exchange of experiences and best practices in the area of working of commercial courts, and alternate dispute resolution mechanisms, according to the statement released by the Ministry of Law and Justice.
India-UK further agreed that training and capacity enhancement programmes would be conducted in reputed Institutes for legal advisers, draftsmen, judicial officers, prosecutors and legal professionals and in time bound manner.
On July 10, 2018, the Government of India and the United Kingdom entered into an MoU for promoting cooperation between both countries, in the sphere of Law and Justice.
"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 Niten Chandra, Law Secretary while the UK side was led by Jo Farrar, Second Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Justice. Both the Leaders Co-chaired the meetings.
As regards the subject of framing regulations for entry of UK Law Firms and Lawyers under the MoU was concerned, the same was discussed separately in the Legal Services Committee (LSC) meeting held later in the day on 18th August 2022.
The Legal Services Committee (LSC) in its meeting recalled the outcome of the India-UK virtual summit held on 4th May, 2021, between the Indian Prime Ministers and the UK 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 LSC deliberations were also attended by the British High Commissioner to India Alex Ellis.
The meeting was held in a cordial atmosphere wherein both sides appreciated each other's concern for the challenges in the opening of the legal services sector.
"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."
( With inputs from ANI )
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