From the desk of NAVNEET SHUKLA

“You know the law. You know the facts. You know the file better than anyone else. Yet you cannot argue — unless you give up your signing powers.”

That’s not a capability gap. That’s a regulatory boundary.

Over the years, court rulings have made one thing clear — appearance before constitutional courts is the domain of enrolled advocates. Many Chartered Accountants who wanted to continue in litigation had to add an LL.B. and change their professional path, not because they lacked competence, but because the framework demanded it.

And now the conversation has moved a step further.

The Bar Council of India has approached the Delhi High Court challenging the right of non-advocate professionals to appear even before specialised forums like ITAT, GSTAT and NCLT — forums where technical expertise has traditionally been the backbone of representation.

This is no longer a theoretical discussion. It directly impacts the future of multidisciplinary practice in India.

On one side stands the legal profession. On the other, institutions like the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India and Institute of Company Secretaries of India, whose members have been integral to tribunal practice for decades.

This is not about who is right or wrong. It is about who gets to represent — and how the system values specialised knowledge.

In moments like this, silence from professional bodies is not neutral — representation matters. A collective, well-reasoned institutional response is essential to protect the role their members have built over years through competence and credibility.

A practical takeaway for CA students and young professionals:

If litigation is even a remote possibility in your career plan, an LL.B. is no longer optional — it is insurance.

And let’s be honest — for a CA, completing law is not an uphill battle. It is one of the most strategic combinations available today.

Because in a profession where regulations evolve faster than expectations, those who prepare early don’t have to choose later.

The real question is not CA vs Advocate: The real question is:
Will the future belong to single-qualification professionals — or multidisciplinary experts?

DO SHARE YOUR OPINIONS !