Controversy arose over the appointment of assistant legal aid defense lawyers, Ranchi District Bar Association expressed objection, wrote a letter to DLSA President

 

Ranchi: The District Bar Association, Ranchi has appealed to the District Legal Services Authority (DLSA) Ranchi to limit the selection process of assistant legal aid defense lawyers to local advocates only. In this regard, the President cum Judicial Commissioner of DLSA has been informed by the Bar Association through a letter. It has been demanded on behalf of the association that only the member advocates of Ranchi District Bar Association should be given priority in the interview and selection process. This demand has been made under a resolution passed unanimously in the meeting of the Executive Committee of the Association on 6 August 2025 under the chairmanship of the President. Expressing concern over the transparency of the selection process, the resolution states that out of the 31 candidates selected in the list published recently for the interview, only 12 are members of Ranchi District Bar Association, while 19 advocates belong to other districts. 

   Association General Secretary Sanjay Kumar Vidrohi said that this situation is not only a neglect of local representation, but it is also causing dissatisfaction among our members. Local advocates are familiar with the court process and social-sensitivity, due to which they can make a more effective contribution to legal aid. The association argues that the success of the legal aid system depends on the extent to which defense lawyers are familiar with the local court processes and social structure. The appointment of outside advocates not only affects the morale of local advocates, but can also create practical problems in the judicial process. In this background, Ranchi District Bar Association has clearly requested DLSA and the concerned authorities to limit the selection process to “local advocates” and exclude non-member advocates from the interview process. The Bar Association has expressed hope that their objection will be taken seriously and necessary steps will be taken keeping in mind the interest of the local bar and the effectiveness of the justice system.