The Goa meeting has handed a invoice prescribing stringent punishment for assaulting legal professionals on responsibility, with as much as seven years’ imprisonment and a wonderful of Rs 1 lakh.
The Goa Advocates Safety Invoice, 2026, moved within the Home on Tuesday, offers police safety to advocates dealing with threats, whereas additionally incorporating safeguards in opposition to misuse, with false or malicious complaints punishable by as much as one 12 months’s imprisonment, a wonderful, or each.
There had been an rising incidence of violence, intimidation, harassment, false implication and injury to property directed in opposition to advocates whereas discharging their skilled duties.
Such acts, as per the invoice, might have an effect on the independence and fearless functioning of the authorized occupation and finally impair litigants’ proper to authorized illustration and entry to justice.
The laws makes each offence dedicated below its provisions cognisable and likewise offers for compensation to advocates from fines recovered by courts.
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, who additionally holds the Legislation and Judiciary portfolio, moved the invoice, in search of to stop offences in opposition to advocates and injury or loss to their property, and the Home handed it by voice vote.
Underneath the proposed laws, assault or use of legal drive in opposition to an advocate will entice imprisonment of as much as two years and a wonderful of as much as Rs 55,000, whereas voluntarily inflicting grievous damage can invite a jail time period of as much as seven years and a wonderful of as much as Rs 1 lakh.
Prison intimidation or harassment of an advocate shall be punishable with imprisonment of as much as two years and a wonderful of as much as Rs 25,000. If the menace includes dying, grievous damage or destruction of property, the jail time period might prolong to seven years.
When a cognisable offence is reported in opposition to an advocate for an act performed through the discharge {of professional} duties, the grievance could be registered solely after an inquiry by a police officer not beneath the rank of Deputy Superintendent of Police. The inquiry is required to be accomplished inside seven days, as per the invoice.
If a case is registered, the Bar Council and the advocates’ affiliation, of which the lawyer is a member, must be told.
The invoice additionally offers for restoration of damages for loss or injury precipitated to an advocate’s property and reimbursement of medical bills, as decided by the courtroom.
On the identical time, safeguards have been included in opposition to misuse of the regulation. An advocate discovered to have misused its provisions or made a false or malicious grievance can face imprisonment of as much as one 12 months, a wonderful, or each.
The laws additionally offers for police safety to an advocate dealing with threats. The safety could be sought from a periods courtroom, whereas an officer beneath the rank of Deputy Superintendent of Police can’t withdraw, scale back or discontinue the safety with out prior permission of the courtroom that granted it.
The invoice will come into drive on a date to be notified by the federal government within the official gazette.
