PANAJI
The Goa Legislative Assembly on Tuesday passed two key legislations aimed at protecting lawyers, doctors and medical institutions from violence and harassment.
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant moved the Goa Advocates Protection Bill, 2026, while Health Minister Vishwajit Rane piloted an amendment to the Goa Medicare Service Personnel and Medicare Service Institutions (Prevention of Violence and Damage or Loss to Property) Act, 2013.
Both bills were approved by a voice vote after brief discussions in the House.
The Advocates Protection Bill seeks to provide legal safeguards to lawyers against targeted violence, intimidation and harassment linked to their professional duties.
The government said the legislation creates a balanced statutory framework that not only protects advocates but also incorporates safeguards to prevent misuse of the law. It provides for checks and penalties against false or frivolous complaints.
On concerns raised by Aldona MLA, Carlos Alvares-Ferreira, who sought to demand referring the bill to a select committee seeking wider consultations with lawyer bodies, Sawant said bar councils and advocate associations had already been consulted.
Ferreira had in his interventions during the discussion at the bill’s consideration stage expressed apprehension that the provision against lawyers for alleged abuse of the law would lead to people lining up to file complaints. However, Sawant brushed aside Ferreira’s concern as premature.
The House meanwhile also strengthened protections for doctors, healthcare workers and medical institutions by amending the existing 2013 law.
The key change shifts the protection mechanism from one based on conviction to one triggered by accusations of violence or damage, allowing authorities to act at an earlier stage.
The move is intended to offer greater security to healthcare personnel and institutions, which have witnessed instances of assault, intimidation and destruction of property in the course of delivering medical services.
With the passage of these two legislations, Goa will move towards extending stronger legal protection to both advocates and healthcare professionals, even as provisions in the law will ensure accountability and prevent abuse of the statutes.
