Advocate--Professional Ethics--Advocate Has No Lien Over Case Bundles or Proceedings and Cannot Stall Legal Proceedings to Compel Settlement of Disputed Fees
An advocate has no lien over case bundles or legal proceedings and cannot halt the progress of a case to compel payment of disputed fees. A fee dispute between an advocate and a private litigant is not justiciable under Article 226 of the Constitution and must be agitated before a competent civil court. A litigant has an unfettered right to change counsel, and where an advocate refuses to grant a no-objection, the party is entitled to seek special permission from the court. Using legal proceedings as leverage to extract fees amounts to professional misconduct.
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