Lawyer associations in T.N. condemn ED for issuing summons to senior advocate Arvind Datar

Arvind P. Dattar. File | Photo Credit: K.V. Srinivasan

The Tamil Nadu Senior Advocates Forum (TNSAF) as well as the Madras Bar Association (MBA) have strongly condemned the “high handed” action of the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) which had issued summons to renowned senior counsel Arvind P. Datar.

Though the summons were withdrawn pursuant to an uproar, TNSAF convener AL. Somayaji and secretary E. Omprakash said, it was a matter of grave disquiet that a senior advocate with longstanding goodwill and repute had been summoned on the basis of a legal opinion tendered by him to a client.

In a letter addressed to the ED, the two office-bearers said, rendering legal opinion was a core function of an advocate and that summoning him/her for having performed such a function would compromise the independence of the legal profession and establish a troubling precedent.

“The minute lawyers and judges are informed that their opinions on issues of law may make them the target of an action by the executive, it will signal the death knell of the freedom of the judiciary... Therefore, we find it pressing and necessary to convey our collective condemnation to prevent similar occurrences in the future,” the letter read.

MBA president M. Baskar said, the Supreme Court had time and again held that the advocates could not be dragged into unnecessary issues for having performed their professional duty. Even though the summons issued to Mr. Datar had been withdrawn, he hoped that the ED would not repeat such action against lawyers who perform their duties fearlessly.

Published - June 17, 2025 05:56 pm IST