Priests, nuns not barred from legal practice, says Kerala High Court

Thiruvananthapuram – In a significant step, the Kerala High Court has overruled a decision by the state's Bar Association to deny priests and nuns the right to practice law.

On November 7, the High Court upheld the appeal filed by two nuns and a priest who had been unable to obtain admission to the bar because the association ruled their "religious professions" were incompatible with legal practice.

The decision of the bar association had stunned Catholics, since dozens of nuns and priests are already practicing in India's courts (see Nun in Kerala debarred from practicing law in spite of being law graduate http://in.christiantoday.com/news/soc_172.htm). In fact there is a national organization for religious lawyers, many of whom head legal–education programs for their dioceses.

Citing their fundamental rights under Indian constitution, the Catholic religious had pointed out in their appeal that they are being discriminated on the basis of religion and denied equality of opportunity.

Welcoming the decision, Cardinal Varkey Vithayathil of Ernakulam–Angamaly archdiocese said that the “just and correct” ruling of the Court was what “everyone was expecting.”

The decision of the High Court that welcomed the religious nuns and priests as advocates, was ”a sign of respect for the Catholic Church, committed to the truth and love for the poor,” Italy–based Catholic news agency, AsiaNews quoted the cardinal as saying.

However, the cardinal expressed his concerns over the action of the Bar Association. “I am interested to know why the religious were refused by the Bar Association; perhaps some saw them as a threat to a secular legal system. Nuns and priests who are advocates render their professional services to the poor free–of–charge as part of their consecrated life and love for their neighbour,” he said.