6 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES
to practise unless, in addition, he spends one year reading in the Chambers of a senior practitioner, thus spending altogether nine years from his Matriculation. The Solicitor is required to be either a B. A. or an L.L.B. before he signs Articles with a firm of solicitors. His examination is held three years after he has signed his Articles. His previous training, therefore, is either seven years if he joins the firm as a B. A. or nine years if he joins it as an LL.B. At the lowest rung of the ladder is the Mukhtyar. He need have no training in Law nor is he required to pass any qualifying test. The situation is further complicated by the existence of two other circumstances. First is the existence of different authorities having the right to examine candidates appearing at the Law Examinations. So far as the two classes of Advocates (A.S.) are concerned, there are two different authorities which have the right to examine. One class is examined by the Bombay University and the other by the Bar Council. With regard to the Advocate (O.S.) and the Solicitors, the examining body is the High Court. It must be noted that none of these examining bodies undertakes the responsibility of teaching those whom they examined. The second circumstance which adds to the complexity of the situation is the difference of status among the legal practitioners in the Presidency. The Advocates (O.S.) and the Barristers have the whole field open to them. They can practise in any Court and on either side of the High Court though they can only plead and cannot act. The Advocate (A.S.) is restricted so far as the High Court is concerned to the Appellate Side. But he can plead as well as act. The Solicitor, on the other hand, can practice anywhere and so far as the High Court is concerned, on the Original Side he can only act while on the Appellate Side he can act as well as plead.
That, there should be such a diversity is the matter of qualifications, in the matter of Examinations and in the matter of Status among persons practising the same profession is a very unfortunate fact. But while it may be admitted that all this is very unsatisfactory and even deplorable, I do not think it can be argued that all this constitutes a problem. Because I am not convinced that the system complicated and illogical as it produces any injurious results. That, there are anomalies in the situation is beyond