>We are back to the intolerance of challenge. The Lawyers Collective posed no political challenge to the NDA, it cannot, but it seems that there is an intolerance of legal challenge within the NDA <

Lawyers Collective (LC) – the NGO founded by senior advocates and spouses Indira Jaising and Anand Grover – responded to the home ministry’s 6-month ban order on it receiving foreign funds, by claiming that the ban order was “a malafide act and an act of vindictiveness on the part of the Government” against which the NGO had fought several cases.

The Indian judiciary has been grappling with the question of whether to permit foreign lawyers to practice in India for more than two decades. After yesterday’s hearing in the Supreme Court, it doesn’t look like any end is in sight.

The Women’s Rights Initiative of the Lawyers Collective NGO has filed a petition as amicus curiae (friend of the court), requesting the Supreme Court bring its internal sexual harassment guidelines into compliance with the rules laid down in its own Vishaka judgment, to regulate court internships, invite a notice requesting other victims to come forward confidentially, and more.

A Tamil Nadu advocate has reportedly filed a writ petition against 30 foreign law firms and legal process outsourcing (LPO) company Integreon for “illegally practising” law in violation of the Advocates Act 1961, according to unconfirmed media reports, although no notices have been served on the respondents yet.

Ashurst has decided to close its Delhi liaison office following the outcome of the Lawyers Collective case. However, the office closure was already on the cards two months before the judgment, according to the firm.

The question is not whether to allow entry of foreign lawyers in India, but the question is until when can entry of foreign lawyers be prevented in India, argues Kaden Boriss Legal LLP founding partner Hemant K Batra.

Almost everything that could happen, did happen this week in Indian law.

And then hell froze over.

Legally India was the first to report one of the biggest items of foreign law firm news in 15 years: the Bombay High Court finally gave its judgment in the infamous case of Lawyers Collective v Ashurst, Chadbourne & Parke and White & Case.

“It’s a very important milestone in the evolving debate,” says Amarchand Mangaldas Mumbai managing partner Cyril Shroff about the Bombay High Court judgment. “Its ramifications will be analysed over the coming weeks by all concerned.”

But so far the analysis has yielded little in the way of certainty and the sparse judgment has become a reflection of individuals’ hopes and desires, as well as an ill-fitting receptacle for the status quo.

International firms Ashurst, Chadbourne & Parke and White & Case have lost the long-running case against the Lawyers’ Collective, with the Bombay High Court having decided today that the practice of all law by foreign firms in India is illegal.

Law minister Veerappa Moily has reiterated his stance on liberalisation and vowed to set up four super-charged “law schools of excellence” throughout India.

He was the driving force behind the recent historic judgement that effectively decriminalised homosexuality by ‘reading down’ section 377 last month. But Anand Grover’s battle has been far older than just that case, starting 20 years ago with a series of painful setbacks, death and a growing obsession.

Get future weekly newsletters straight to your inbox for free by entering your name and email below.

AZB’s best friend Clifford Chance officially ceased being the world’s largest law firm this week, falling several places behind Freshfields, Skaddens and Baker & McKenzie. And Linklaters is still to announce its results today.

For better or worse, law firm turnover competitions do not take place in public in India despite Clifford Chance blaming AZB a tiny bit for its turnover drop. Things could be changing though.

The Lawyers Collective has emerged victorious in its bid to decriminalise homosexuality by overturning the so-called Section 377 law in the Delhi High Court this morning.