304 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES
*** Mr. Chairman:** The question of amendments will come later. Perhaps it may be that after the Hon. the Law Minister has given his reply many of the doubts of the hon. members may be cleared up. Then we can think of the amendments.
Dr. Ambedkar: Most of the questions that have been raised in the course of speeches delivered by hon. Members have very little to do with the merits of the Bill. They deal with a subject which is more relevant to the unification of the Bar. As I said yesterday, this Bill primarily does not aim at the unification of the Bar. The aim of the Bill is a very limited one and is to remove the difficulties that are caused by enrolment of advocates by the High Court and by the Supreme Court in their independent jurisdiction. Clients have suffered on account of the fact that lawyers whom they engage in the Supreme Court are not permitted to appear in a High Court when the same matter is remitted by the Supreme Court to the High Court. That is the limited purpose of this Bill. But in view of the general desire that while achieving this limited purpose something might be done in the direction of unifying the Bar, I have accepted two proposals which really are outside the immediate object of the Bill.
One is to permit all lawyers who are enrolled in the Supreme Court to practise in all the high Courts which of course means right to practise in all courts subordinate to the -different High Courts.
The second point which I have accepted is to remove the restrictions originally placed in the Bill that the right to practise which is being given by this Bill to advocates enrolled on the Supreme Court shall be confined only to the appellate side. The clause is being deleted.
I have listened to the various speeches and all that I can say is that I realise the difficulties and I have a great deal of sympathy with the point of view that has been expressed by the various Members. When there is an opportunity and time the Government of India will no doubt consider this matter and bring forth a comprehensive measure which would
- P. D., Vol. 10, Part II, 20th April 1951, pp. 7140-42.