What about the lawyers?
The Law Society has expressed disappointment at the exclusion of legal services from the India-UK free trade agreement (FTA) announced by the government today.
The participation of foreign firms in India’s legal market has been under discussion for over 20 years. Back in March 2023, The Bar Council of India (BCI) raised the hopes of UK-based firms by publishing draft rule changes which would allow foreign lawyers to practice English, Welsh and international law in non-contentious matters. However, these proposed changes were deeply unpopular with many domestic Indian lawyers and were challenged by the Society of Indian Law Firms.
Today’s FTA between India and the UK promises to slash tariffs on goods from whisky to cosmetics to chocolate biscuits, loosening some of India’s strict protectionist rules, but makes no mention of legal services. The Law Society has branded this a “missed opportunity” for both nations.
Law Society president Richard Atkinson has emphasised the legal market as central to economic growth:
Legal services is an enabling sector, supporting other sectors in their own trade and investment decisions and operations. It is also part of the high-growth sectors identified in the government’s Industrial Strategy. We call on the UK government to renew its support for legal services trade between the two countries.
Referencing the changes previously announced by the BCI, Atkinson added, “We would welcome renewed discussions to progress on legal services market access, especially in view of the regulations announced by the Bar Council of India in March 2023 for foreign lawyers and law firms which currently remain in limbo.”