One of the noblest of professions mankind has known is advocacy. An advocate is one who speaks in a Court of Law on behalf of another person, in a legal context, obviously because the represented lacks the knowledge, skill, ability, or standing to speak for themselves. The nobility of the profession requires that they are above any personal likes or dislikes. They are essentially officers of the Hon'ble court. They assist the Court in dispensing justice. Thus they are supposed to be totally objective in their approach.

The Bar should always try to maintain and defend its independence. This spirit is the very quintessence of the legal profession.

Of late, there has been some dilution in the practice of Advocacy the world over. Several subjective factors have crept into the profession. We have not forgotten the incidents that occurred in Great Britain in 2003. The London Bar Council reportedly expressed concerns as to the increasing 'politicisation' of the judiciary, and attempts to 'bend it to doing the political will of the government'.

The ongoing tragedy of our own country is that every issue is reduced to cheap political bickering. The Bar has not escaped this unfortunate and undesirable trend.

The frank remarks made by the Chief Justice of the Madras High Court, A P Shah reflect the agony of every individual who is interested in the profession retaining its nobility. The Chief Justice was critical of the politicisation of the Bar and the behaviour of a section of legal professionals. Speaking at a function organised by the Madras Bar Association, A P Shah did some loud thinking. He said that it was unfortunate that politicisation has crept into the legal profession. This had made him wonder if the profession continued to enjoy its noble status.

The Chief Justice is not alone in holding this opinion. Several senior members of the legal profession complain that their noble services have of late been bedeviled by too much politicisation of the bar associations. The learned members of the Bar, one hopes will strive hard to restore the nobility it once was proud of.