SC rules police need written SP approval to summon advocates in criminal cases

xNew Delhi: In a major verdict protecting the sanctity of lawyer-client privilege, the Supreme Court on Friday issued a set of directions to curb the arbitrary summoning of advocates by investigative agencies. The court ruled that investigating officers cannot summon lawyers in criminal cases without the written approval of a police superintendent.

The apex court also set aside the summons issued by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to senior lawyers Arvind Datar and Pratap Venugopal, holding that they infringed the fundamental rights of the accused who had engaged them.

A three-judge bench comprising Chief Justice of India B.R. Gavai and Justices K. Vinod Chandran and N.V. Anjaria delivered the verdict in a

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