Pics: Dayanand Kukkaje
Daijiworld Media Network – Mangalore (SP)

Mangalore, Feb 15: Union law and justice minister, M Veerappa Moily, lamented the lack of skilled lawyers who can effectively fill vacancies of judges that exist in various courts across the country. He was addressing the gathering, at the felicitation function of senior advocate, M Seetaram Shetty on the occasion of Shetty’s completion of 50 years of service in the legal field and also the latter’s 75th birthday. The function was organized at the TMA Pai Convention Centre here on Sunday February 14.

“The country is in need of a large number of skilled, efficient advocates urgently. We need about 15,000 judges including 280 for different High Courts. Because of the lack of excellent lawyers, the government finds it difficult to fill in vacancies, as the best lawyers need to become judges,” he said, pointing out that the country has a large number of information technology professionals and such professionals are also needed in the legal profession.

“We propose to create a large number of talented advocates through the second generation of legal education reforms. We propose to hold a national consensus in March this year, towards this end. The legal profession should be competitive. Curriculum in legal education needs some modifications, and more law schools where excellent education is provided, need to be opened,” Moily opined.

Former Karnataka High Court Judge, Justice B N Mallikarjuna, presided over the programme. Senior advocate, B V Acharya, and western range inspector general of police, Gopal B Hosur, participated as guests.