April 03, 2002
‘7’
FUNCTIONING OF ADVOCATES WELFARE FUND
The Centre has addressed the State Governments and the Union Territories advising them to take necessary action under the Advocates Welfare Fund Act, 2001 to set up Advocates Welfare Fund. The Act has already been enforced with effect from November 1, 2001 all over the country except the States in which the enactment specified in Schedule II is applicable. The Fund is designed to help lawyers in distress as a measure to provide social security cover to them.
Under Section 3 (1) of the Advocates Welfare Fund Act, the appropriate Government has been empowered to constitute the Advocates Welfare Fund. The expression ‘Appropriate Government’ means the State Government in the case of advocates admitted on the roll of a Bar Council of a State and the Central Government in the case of advocates admitted on the roll of a Bar Council of a Union Territory.
The power to constitute the Advocates Welfare Fund in the Union Territories has been delegated to their administrators under Article 239 (1) of the Constitution.