Full Judgment Text
http://JUDIS.NIC.IN SUPREME COURT OF INDIA Page 1 of 9
PETITIONER:
O. N. MOHINDROO
Vs.
RESPONDENT:
THE BAR COUNCIL OF DELHI & ORS.
DATE OF JUDGMENT:
08/01/1968
BENCH:
SHELAT, J.M.
BENCH:
SHELAT, J.M.
WANCHOO, K.N. (CJ)
BACHAWAT, R.S.
MITTER, G.K.
VAIDYIALINGAM, C.A.
CITATION:
1968 AIR 888 1968 SCR (2) 709
CITATOR INFO :
R 1973 SC 231 (11,14)
ACT:
Constitution of India, 1950, Art. 138(1) and (2) Scope of.
Advocates Act (25 of 1961), s. 38-Right of appeal to
Supreme Court given to advocate in disciplinary proceedings-
Whether right falls under Entry 77 of List 1 or Entry 26 of
List III.
Supreme Court Rules 1966, O, 5, r. 7-Appeal under s. 38
Advocates Act, rejected summarily-If rule curtails right of
appeal-Rule, if valid.
HEADNOTE:
The appellant filed a writ. petition in the High Court for
quashing, (a) the order of suspension passed against him by
the State Bar Council under s.4. 35 of the Advocates Act,
1961, (b) the order of the Bar Council of .India in appeal
under s. 37 of the Act, confirming the order of suspension,
and (c) the order of this Court summarily rejecting his
appeal to this Court under s. 38, under O.V., r, 7 of the
Supreme Court Rules, 1966. He contended that : (1) the
jurisdiction conferred on this Court by S. 38 related to a
matter under Entry 26 of List III of the Constitution, that
it therefore fell under Art. 138(2), and as there was no
special agreement between the Government of India and the
Government oaf a State as required by Art. 138(2), s. 38 was
not validly enacted; and (2) O. 5, r. 7 of the Supreme Court
Rules under which the appeal was placed for preliminary
hearing was ultra vires s. 38, as the rule cut down and im-
paired the right of appeal under the section. The writ
petition was dismissed.In appeal to this Court,
HELD : (1) While Entry 26 of List III deals with the legal,
medical and other professions, Entry 77 of List I, deals
with the constitution, organisation, jurisdiction and powers
of the Supreme Court, and also with persons entitled to
practise before the Supreme Court. Since there is a seeming
conflict between the two entries they have to be harmonised
by reading the, general power in Entry 26 in a restricted
sense. That is, the power to legislate in regard to persons
http://JUDIS.NIC.IN SUPREME COURT OF INDIA Page 2 of 9
entitled to practise before the Supreme Court under Entry 77
of List I should be held to be carved out from the general
power relating to the professions in Entry 26 of List III,
and made the exclusive field of Parliament. [715 E-F, H; 716
A-C]
The object of the Advocates Act is to constitute one common
bar for the whole country and to provide machinery for its
regulated functioning Though the Act relates to legal
practitioners, in its pith and substance it is an enactment
dealing with the qualifications, enrolment, right to
practise and discipline of Advocates. Since the Act
provides that once a person is enrolled by any State Bar
Council he becomes entitled to practise in all court-,
including the Supreme Court, the Act is a piece of legis-
lation dealing with persons entitled to practise before the
Supreme Court. Therefore, the Act, including the right of
appeal to this Court under s. 38, deals with a matter
relating to Entry 77 of List I and falls under Art. 138(1)
and within the exclusive field of Parliament. The Act is
not
710
a composite legislation partly failing under Entry 77 of
List I and partly tinder Entry 26 of List 111. It does not
fall under Art. 138(2) and a -special agreement with a State
Government, is therefore not necessary. [717 E, F-H; 718 A-
C]
State of Bombay v. Balsara, [1951] S.C.R. 682, State of
Bombay V. Narothamdas, [1951] S.C.R. 51 and In re : Lily
Isabel Thomas, [1964] 6 S.C.R. 229. followed.
C. P. & Berar Sales of Motor Spirit and Lubricants
Taxation Act, 1938 [1938] F.C.R. 18, Citizens Insurance Co.
of Canada v. Parsons, [1881] 7 A.C. 96, Bhola Prasad v.
Emperor, [1942] F.C.R. 17, G. G. in Council v. Province of
Madras, (1945) 72 ].A. 91 and Durgeshwar v. Secretary, Bai-
Council, Allahabad, A.I.R. 1954 All. 728, referred to.
(2) On the express terms of Art. 145(1)(b) of the
Constitution, 7 of O. 5 of the Supreme Court Rules is within
the rule-making power of this Court, as it merely lays down
how and in what manner an appeal filed under s. 38 is to be
dealt with and does not deal with or affect the right of
appeal. The fact that under the rule the appeal is placed
for preliminary hearing and is liable to be disposed of at
that stage does not mean that the content of the right of
appeal under the section is in any way curtailed, because,
the party filing the appeal is heard on all points raised by
him even at that stage. [718 F-M]
Prem Chand Garg v. Excise Commissioner, [1963] Supp. 1
S.C.R. 885, distinguished.
JUDGMENT:
CIVIL APPELLATE JURISDICTION: Civil Appeal No. 240 of 1967
Appeal from the judgment and order dated December 22, 1966
of the Delhi High Court in Letters Patent Appeal No. 1 of
1966.
Appellant in person.
Avadh Behari, for respondents Nos. 1 and 2.
P. Ram Reddy, and A. V. Rangam, for respondent No. 3.
Purshottam Trikamdas and 1. N. Shroff, for respondent No. 4.
Purshottam Trikamdas and S. P. Nayar, for respondent No. 5.
The Judgment of the Court was delivered by
Shelat, J. This appeal by certificate raises the question as
to ,he scope of entries 77 and 78 in List I and entry 26 in
List III of the Seventh Schedule to the Constitution.
http://JUDIS.NIC.IN SUPREME COURT OF INDIA Page 3 of 9
The question arises in the following manner
On a complaint by the Subordinate Judge that the appellant,
while taking inspection of the Court record in an
arbitration matter pending before his Court, had mutilated
the copy of a notice in that record by wilfully tearing a
portion thereof, the District Judge, Delhi filed a report
against the appellant before the Delhi
711
State Bar Council for taking action under the Advocates Act,
25 of 1961 (hereinafter referred to as the Act). The
Disciplinary Committee of the said Council after hearing the
appellant found him guilty of professional misconduct and
ordered his suspension for one year under s. 35 (3) (c) of
the Act. An appeal filed by the appellant under s. 37
before the Bar Council of India failed. Thereupon he filed
an appeal against the said order under s. 38 in this Court.
The appeal was placed for preliminary hearing and summarily
rejected at that stage. The appellant thereafter filed a
writ petition in the High Court of Punjab (Delhi Bench) for
quashing the said order of suspension, the order of the
appellate authority confirming the said order and the order
of this Court dismissing the appeal. He thereafter filed a
review petition against the dismissal of his appeal
contending, inter alia, that rule 7 of O. 5 of the Supreme
Court Rules, was ultra vires s. 38 of the Act. The review
petition also was dismissed.
At the hearing of his writ petition, the appellant, inter
alia, contended that s. 38 of the Act was ultra vires Art.
138(2) of the Constitution inasmuch as the appellate
jurisdiction conferred on this Court by s. 38 fell under
entry 26 in List III and that there being no special
agreement between the Government of India and the Government
of any State as required by clause 2 of Art. 138 sec. 38 was
invalidly enacted. He also contended that O. 5 r. 7 of the
Supreme Court Rules under which the appeal was placed for
preliminary hearing was Ultra vires s. 38 as the said rule
cut down and impaired his right of appeal under s. 38.
Lastly, he contended that the decision of the Bar Council of
India was bad for the several grounds alleged by him in his
writ petition. The learned Single Judge who heard the writ
petition rejected these contentions and dismissed it. As
regards the first contention he held that clause 2 of Art. 1
38 did not apply and that it was clause 1 of that Article
which was applicable as the subject matter of the Advocates
Act fell under entry 77 of the Union List. As to the other
two contentions he held that rule 7 of the O. 5 was valid
and did not contravene s. 38; that the Bench before which
the appeal came up for preliminary hearing had heard the
appellant’s counsel and in addition had called for
production of a document desired by him. There was no
affidavit by Counsel appearing for him that he was not heard
on any point which he desired to contend. He also held that
the appellant had specifically raised the contention as to
the vires of the said rule in his review petition and that
that contention having been rejected, the appellant could
not reagitate it in the writ petition. He also held that
the appellant was similarly not entitled to reagitate the
question as to the merits of the said order of suspension.
the same having been considered and rejected at the time of
the preliminary hearing of his appeal. Aggrieved by the
order of the learned Single Judge,
712
the appellant filed a Letters Patent Appeal. At the hearing
of that appeal the appellant’s counsel conceded that he
could not raise, any contention on the merits of the case in
http://JUDIS.NIC.IN SUPREME COURT OF INDIA Page 4 of 9
view of this Court having disposed of those very contentions
and that therefore he would confine his arguments only to
the question of the vires of S. 38. The learned Judges who
heard that appeal were of the view (1) that the Act was a
composite piece of legislation. that it did not, as held by
the learned Single Judge, fall exclusively under entries 77
and 78 of List I but that it fell partly under those entries
and partly under entry 26 of List 111; (2) that Art. 138 had
no application as the jurisdiction to entertain and try
appeals under s. 38 was not ’further jurisdiction’ within
the meaning of that Article; that the jurisdiction to hear
such appeals was already vested in this Court under Art. 136
even without s. 38 as the Bar Councils of Delhi and of India
were quasi-judicial tribunals and that therefore this Court
had jurisdiction to entertain and try appeals against their
orders; and (3) that the only effect of s. 38 was that by
providing for an appeal Parliament removed the hurdle of an
appellant having to obtain special leave under Art. 136. On
this reasoning the learned Judges dismissed the contention
as to the vires of s. 38. Dismissing the appeal the learned
Judges observed :
"There is no bar to the Parliament legislating
with respect to jurisdiction and powers of the
Supreme Court subject to the express
provisions of the Constitution like Arts. 132
and 134. When a provision for appeal to the
Supreme Court is made in a statute, within
-the sphere covered by Arts. 132 to 136 it is
not conferment of further power and
jurisdiction as envisaged by Art. 138, such
power would be exercisable by reason of entry
77 of List I".
In this appeal the appellant challenges the correctness of
this view.
The question which falls for consideration is one of inter-
pretation of entries 77 and 78 of List I and entry 26 of
List 111. If it is held that it is entry 26 of List III
under which the Act was enacted, clause 2 of Art. 138 would
apply and in that case a special agreement with the State
Government becomes a condition precedent to the enactment of
s. 38 of the Act. In that case the difficulty would be to
reconcile entries 77 and 78 of List I with entry 26 of the
List III.
It is a well recognised rule of construction that the Court
while construing entries must assume that the distribution
of legislative powers in the three Lists could not have been
intended to he in conflict with one another. A general
power ought not to
713
be so construed as to make a nullity of a particular power
conferred by the same instrument and operating in the same
field when by reading the former in a more restricted sense,
effect can be given to the latter in its ordinary and
natural meaning. It is, therefore, right to consider
whether a fair reconciliation cannot be effected by giving
to the language of an entry in one List the meaning which,
if less wide than it might in another context bear, is yet
one that can properly be given to it and equally giving to
the language of another entry in another List a meaning
which it can properly bear. Where there is a seeming
conflict between one entry in one List and another entry in
another List, an attempt should always be made to avoid to
see whether the two entries can be harmonised to avoid such
a conflict of jurisdiction. (C.P. & Berar Sales of Motor
Spirit and Lubricants Taxation Act, 1938(1); Citizens
http://JUDIS.NIC.IN SUPREME COURT OF INDIA Page 5 of 9
Insurance Company of Canada v. Parsons (2) Bhola Prasad v.
Emperor(3); Governor General in Council v. Province of
Madras(4), and State of Bombay v. Balsara(5).
It is in the background of these principles of construction
that we must proceed to examine the content of the various
relevant entries dealing with the constitution and
Organisation of courts and their jurisdiction and powers and
the scheme envisaged thereunder. Entries 77 and 78 of List
I read as under :-
"77. Constitution, Organisation, jurisdiction
and powers of the Supreme Court (including
contempt of such Court) ... persons entitled
to practise before the Supreme Court."
"78. Constitution and Organisation (including
vacations) of the High Courts ... ; persons
entitled to practice before the High Courts."
Entry 95 of List I reads as follows
"95. Jurisdiction and powers of all courts,
except the Supreme Court, with respect to any
of the matters in this List; admiralty
jurisdiction."
Entry 65 of List II reads
"65. Jurisdiction and powers of all courts,
except the Supreme Court, with respect to any
of the matters in this List."
Entry 46 in List III reads
"46. Jurisdiction and powers of all courts,
except the Supreme Court, with respect to any
of the matters in this List."
(1) [1938] F.C.R. 18. (2) [1881] 7
A.C. 96.
(3) [1942] F.C.R. 17. (4) (1945] 72
I.A. 91.
(5)[1951] S.C.R. 68’-).
714
The scheme for conferring jurisdiction and powers on courts
is (a) to avoid duplication of Courts, Federal and State
Courts as. in the Constitution of the United States, (b) to
enable Parliament and the State Legislatures to confer
jurisdiction on courts in respect of matters in their
respective lists except in the case of the Supreme Court
where the legislative authority to confer jurisdiction and
powers is exclusively vested in Parliament. In the case of
the Concurrent List both the legislatures can confer
jurisdiction and powers on courts except of course the
Supreme Court depending upon whether the Act is enacted by
one or the other. Entry 3 in List 11 confers legislative
powers on the States in the matter of "Administration of
Justice; constitution and organisation of all courts, except
the Supreme Court and the High Courts; officers and servants
of the High Court; procedure in rent and revenue courts;
fees taken in all courts except the Supreme Court." It is
clear that except for the constitution and the Organisation
of the Supreme Court and the High Courts the legislative
power in the matter of administration of justice has been
vested in the State Legislatures. The State Legislatures
can, therefore enact laws, providing for the constitution
and organisation of courts except the Supreme Court and the
High Courts and confer jurisdiction and powers on them in
all matters, civil and criminal, except the admiralty
jurisdiction. It would, of course, be open to Parliament to
bar the jurisdiction of any such court by special enactment
in matters provided in Lists I and III where it has made a
law but so long as that is not done the courts established
by the State Legislatures would have jurisdiction to try all
http://JUDIS.NIC.IN SUPREME COURT OF INDIA Page 6 of 9
suits and proceedings relating even to matters in Lists I
and 111. Thus, so far as the constitution and organisation
of the Supreme Court and the High Courts are concerned, the
power is with Parliament. As regards the other courts,
Entry 3 of List 11 confers such a power on the State
Legislatures. As regards jurisdiction and powers, it is
Parliament which can deal with the jurisdiction and powers
of the Supreme Court and the admiralty jurisdiction.
Parliament can confer jurisdiction and powers on all courts
in matters set out in List I and List III where it has
passed any laws. But under the power given to it under
entry 3 in List 11, a State Legislature can confer
jurisdiction and powers on any of the courts except the
Supreme Court in respect of any statute whether enacted by
it or by Parliament except where a Central Act dealing with
matters in Lists I and II otherwise, provides. That these
entries contemplate such a scheme was brought out in State
of Bombay v. Narothamdas(1), where it was contended that the
Bombay City Civil Court Act, 40 of 1948, constituting the
said Civil Court as an additional court was ultra vires the
Provincial Legislature as it conferred jurisdic-
(1) [1951] S.C.R. 51.
715
tion on the new court not only in respect of matters in List
11 of the Seventh Schedule of the Government of India Act,
1935 but also in regard to matters in List I such as
promissory notes in item 8 of List I, Rejecting the
contention it was held that the impugned Act was a law with
respect to a matter enumerated in List 11 and was not ultra
vires as the power of the Provincial Legislature to make
laws with respect to "administration of justice"
and ."constitution and Organisation of all courts" under
item 1 of List II was wide enough to include the power to
make laws with regard to the jurisdiction of courts
established by the Provincial Legislature; that the object
of item 53 of List I, item 2 of List 11 and item 15 of List
III was to confer such powers on the Central and the
Provincial Legislatures to make laws relating to the
jurisdiction of courts with respect to the particular
matters that are referred to in List I and II respectively
and the Concurrent List, and that these provisions did not
in any way curtail the power of the Provincial Legislature
under item 1 of List 11 to make laws with regard to
jurisdiction of courts and to confer jurisdiction on courts
established by it to try all causes of a civil nature
subject to the power of the Central and Provincial Legis-
latures to make special provisions relating to particular
subject,,. referred to in the Lists. It may be mentioned
that item 53 in ,List 1, items 1 and 2 in List 11 and item
15 in List III in the Seventh Schedule to the 1935 Act more
or less correspond to entries 77, 78 and 95 in List 1,
entries 3 and 65 in List 11 and entry 46 in List III of the
Seventh Schedule to the Constitution.
This being the scheme with regard to the constitution and
Organisation of courts and their jurisdiction and powers let
us next proceed to examine entry 26 in List III. Entry 26,
which is analogous to Item 16 in List III of the Seventh
Schedule to the 1935 Act, deals with legal, medical and
other professions but is not concerned with the constitution
and Organisation of courts or their jurisdiction and powers.
These, as already stated, are dealt with by entries 77, 78
and 95 in List 1, entries 3 and 65 in List II and entry 46
in List III Enactments such as the Indian Medical Council
Act, 1956, the Indian Nursing Council Act, 1947, the
Dentists Act, 1948, the Chartered Accountants Act, 1949 and
http://JUDIS.NIC.IN SUPREME COURT OF INDIA Page 7 of 9
the Pharmacy Act, 1948, all Central Acts, would fall under
the power to deal with professions under entry 26 of List
III in the Seventh Schedule to the Constitution and item 16
of List III of 1935 Act. It will, however, be noticed that
entries 77 and 78 in List I are composite entries and deal
not only with the constitution and Organisation of the
Supreme Court and the High Courts but also with persons en-
titled to practise before the Supreme Court and the High
Courts. The only difference between these two entries is
that whereas the jurisdiction and powers of the Supreme
Court are dealt with in
716
entry 77, the jurisdiction and powers of the High Courts are
dealt with not by entry 78 of List I but by other entries.
Entries 77 and 78 in List I apart from dealing with the
constitution and Organisation of the Supreme Court and the
High Courts also deal with persons entitled to practise
before the Supreme Court and the High Courts. This part of
the two entries shows. that to the extent that the persons
entitled to practise before the Supreme Court and the High
Court are concerned, the power to legislate in regard to
them is carved out from the general power relating to the
professions in entry 26 in List III and is made the
exclusive field for Parliament. The power to legislate in
regard to persons entitled to practise before the Supreme
Court and the High Courts is thus excluded from entry 26 in
List III and is made the exclusive field for legislation by
Parliament only [Re : Lily Isabel Thomas(l) and also
Durgeshwar v. Secretary, Bar Council, Allahabad 2 ) ].
Barring those entitled to practise in the Supreme Court and
the High Courts, the power to legislate with respect to the
rest of the practitioners would still seem to be retained
under entry 26 of List III. To what extent the power to
legislate in regard to the legal profession still remains
within the field of entry 26 is not the question at present
before us and therefore it is not necessary to go into it in
this appeal.
The Advocates Act was passed to amend and consolidate the
law relating to legal practitioners and to provide for the
constitution of Bar Councils and an All-India Bar. Section
2(a) and (i) define an ’advocate’ and a ’legal
practitioner’. Chapter II deals with the establishment of
Bar Councils and their functions, viz., to admit persons on
its roll, to prepare and maintain such roll, to entertain
and determine cases of misconduct against advocates on its
roll etc. Section 7 lays down the functions of the Bar
Council of India, that is, to prepare and maintain a common
roll of advocates, to lay down the standard% of professional
conduct and etiquette, to lay down procedure to be followed
by its disciplinary committee and the disciplinary committee
of each State Bar Council, to exercise general supervision
and control over State Bar Councils etc. Chapter III deals
with admission and enrolment of advocates. Section 16(1)
provides that there shall be two classes of advocates,
senior advocates and other advocates. Chapter IV deals with
the right,to practise. Section 29 provides that subject to
the provisions of this Act and the rules made thereunder,
there shall, as from the appointed day, be only one class of
persons entitled to practise the profession of law, namely,
the advocates. Section 30 provides that subject to the
provisions of this Act, every advocate whose name is entered
in the common roll shall be entitled as of right to practise
throughout the terri-
(1) [1964] 6 S.C.R. 229,236.
(2) A.I.R. 1954 All. 728.
http://JUDIS.NIC.IN SUPREME COURT OF INDIA Page 8 of 9
717
tories to which this Act extends in all courts including the
Supreme Court and before any tribunal or any other authority
before whom such advocate is by or under any law for the
time being in force entitled to practise. Chapter V deals
with the conduct of advocates. Section 35 lays down that
where on receipt of a complaint or otherwise a State Bar
Council has reason to believe that any advocate on its roll
has been guilty of professional or other misconduct, it
shall refer the case for disposal to its disciplinary
committee. The disciplinary committee has to fix a date for
the hearing of the case and give a notice thereof to the
advocate concerned and to the Advocate General of the State.
Subs. (3) provides that such committee after giving the
advocate concerned and the Advocate General an opportunity
of being heard, may make, inter alia, an order suspending
the advocate from practice as it may deem fit. Similar
powers are also conferred on the Bar Council of India under
s. 36 in relation to an advocate on the common roll.
Section 37 gives a right of appeal to the Bar Council of
India by any person aggrieved by an order of the
disciplinary committee of a State Bar Council. Section 38
confers a right of appeal to the Supreme Court on any person
aggrieved by an order by the disciplinary committee of the
Bar Council of India under s. 36 or s. 37 and empowers the
Supreme Court to pass such orders thereon as it deems fit.
The object of the Act is thus to constitute one common Bar
for the whole country and to provide machinery for its
regulated functioning. Since the Act sets up one Bar,
autonomous in its character, the Bar Councils set up
thereunder have been entrusted with the power to regulate
the working of the profession and to prescribe rules of
professional conduct and etiquette, and the power to punish
those who commit breach of such rules. The power of
punishment is entrusted to the disciplinary committees
ensuring a trial of an advocate by his peers. Sections 35,
36 and 37 lay down the procedure for trying complaints,
punishment and an appeal to the Bar Council of India from
the orders passed by the State Bar Councils. As an
additional remedy s. 38 provides a further appeal to the
Supreme Court. Though the Act relates to the legal
practitioners, in its pith and substance it is an enactment
which concerns itself with the qualifications, enrolment,
right to practise and discipline of the advocates. As
provided by the Act once a person is enrolled by any one of
the State Bar Councils, he becomes entitled to practise in
all courts including the Supreme Court. As aforesaid, the
Act creates one common Bar, all its members being of one
class, namely, advocates. Since all those who have been
enrolled have a right to practise in the Supreme Court and
the High Courts, the Act is a piece of legislation which
deals with persons entitled to practise before the Supreme
Court and the High Courts. There
L3 Sup.CI/68-2
718
fore the Act must be held to fall within entries 77 and 78
of List I. As the power of legislation, relating to those
entitled to practise in the Supreme Court and the High
Courts is carved out from the general power to legislate in
relation to legal and other professions in entry 26 of List
111, it is an error to say, as the High Court did, that the
Act is a composite legislation partly falling under entries
77 and 78 of List I and partly under entry 26 of List 111.
In this view, the right of appeal to this Court under s. 38
of the Act creates a jurisdiction and power in relation to a
http://JUDIS.NIC.IN SUPREME COURT OF INDIA Page 9 of 9
matter failing under entries 77 and 78 of the Union List and
the Act would, therefore, fall under clause I and not clause
2 of Art. 138. The argument that s. 38 falls under Art.
138(2) and is invalid on account of its having been enacted
without a special agreement with the State Government is,
therefore, without merit.
As regards the validity of rule 7 of O. 5 the contention, as
already pointed out, was raised and rejected in the said
review petition filed by the appellant. The contention
having thus been concluded could not obviously be raised in
the writ petition filed by the appellant, nor would he be
entitled to any writ or order from the High Court as against
the said decision. The rule, in any event, merely provides
for the placing of an. appeal filed under S. 38 for a
preliminary hearing and enables this Court to dismiss at
that stage an appeal if it finds it has no substance. The
appellant in such an appeal is heard; if the court finds
that there is nothing in the appeal, the court declines to
issue notice on the opposite side and disposes of the appeal
there and then. Section 38 confers no doubt a right of an
appeal on a person aggrieved by an order passed under ss. 36
and 37 and the appellant does not have to obtain any special
leave under Art. 136. But the fact that under rule 7 the
appeal is placed for preliminary hearing and is liable to be
disposed of at that stage does not mean that the content of
the right of appeal under s. 38 is in any way curtailed as
the party filing the appeal has to be heard on all points
raised by him therein. There is, therefore, no substance in
the argument that rule 7 contravenes s. 38, and is therefore
ultra vires the section. On the express terms of Art.
145(1) (b), the rule is within the rule-making power of this
Court as it merely lays down how and in what manner an
appeal filed under s. 38 is to be dealt with and does not
deal with or affect the right of appeal. The validity of
the rule cannot, therefore, be impeached. The decision in
Prem Chand Carg v. Exercise Commissioner (1) cannot assist
the appellant. In that decision rule 12
(1) [1963] Supp. 1 S.C.R. 885.
719
of O. xxxv of the Supreme Court Rules was declared void in
so far as it related to the furnishing of security on the
ground that the right to move the, Supreme Court under Art.
32 was absolute and the rule by providing security for costs
impaired such an absolute right. Furnishing of security in
the case of persons without means to do so would obviously
obstruct such persons from vindicating their rights under
Art. 32 and would, therefore, curtail the right under that
Article. That obviously is not so in the case of the rule
with which we are concerned in this appeal. The contention,
therefore, that rule 7 curtails the right of appeal under s.
38 or contravenes that section must be rejected.
The appellant cited a number of authorities but it is not
necessary to deal with them as they have no bearing on the
questions before us. He also tried to question the
correctness of the order passed against him by the Bar
Council of India but we did not allow him to reagitate it as
it stood concluded on the dismissal of the appeal and the
review petition filed by him in this Court.
The appeal fails and is dismissed with costs. V.P.S. Appeal
dismissed.
720