PANAJI
The High Court Bar Association of Goa will place its suggestions on the draft Goa Advocate Protection Bill, 2026, before the government, following a direction from the High Court of Bombay at Goa on Monday.
The issue came up during the hearing of a suo motu writ petition initiated after an advocate was assaulted at Morjim last month. The Division Bench of Justice Valmiki Menezes and Justice Amit Jamsandekar was informed about the proposed legislation, but the Bench said it was not aware of the contents of the draft.
“We don't know the draft of the legislation. Why don't you (Bar Association) check and make any suggestions right now? Your views have to be taken there,” the Bench said.
The State Cabinet approved the Goa Advocate Protection Bill, 2026, in March, which proposed legislation to protect advocates from violence, assault, intimidation and false implication while they are discharging their professional duties. The Bill is yet to be enacted by the Legislative Assembly.
Meanwhile, during the hearing on Monday, Additional Government Advocate Deep Shirodkar told the Bench that the government had examined advocate protection laws enacted by other States, including Karnataka and Telangana. The Bench thereafter asked Shirodkar to ascertain the present status of the draft legislation and where the process had reached.
The lawyers submitted to the Bench that lawyers’ bodies would place their suggestions before the committee of the Assembly on the implementation of the proposed legislation. The Bench will further hear the matter on September 28.
