Practice Rights: solicitor business leader bangs drum for profession in Delhi meetings

Hopes that India will open its doors to legal and other services ultimately rest on Europe and the US reciprocating on agriculture, the solicitor director-general of the Confederation of British Industry told the Solicitors 2005 conference.


Sir Digby Jones, one-time senior partner of Birmingham law firm Edge Ellison (now part of Hammonds), said he was 'banging the drum' for the legal profession during a recent meeting with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and trade minister Kamal Nath.


Of all the markets currently closed to foreign lawyers, India is perhaps the most important to City firms. Sir Digby said he reassured Dr Singh that UK lawyers are not looking to compete for domestic work but told him India needed their expertise if it is to move on to the next level of economic development.


Sir Digby explained: 'They need to free up the market and let corporate finance, projects and banking lawyers in. The politicians say yes, but then the vested interests come in [to stop it].'


However, he emphasised that there would be no movement without a change in policy on agriculture - particularly ending the Common Agricultural Policy, and reining in the US conglomerates. Pointing out that 650 million Indians work on the land, he said: 'We have to allow India to sell into our markets so we can sell our services to them.'


Earlier this month, Sir Digby led a group of more than 40 UK business leaders - including Martin Harman, a senior partner at national law firm Pinsent Masons - to EU summits with India and China. The delegation accompanied Prime Minister Tony Blair, European Commission President José Manuel Barroso, Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson and the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, Alan Johnson.


In a statement issued after meetings with Mr Johnson and Sir Digby's delegation, Mr Nath said the India-UK Joint Economic and Trade Committee (JETCO), launched last year, would be a key instrument in further strengthening trade and economic co-operation between the two countries.


Mr Nath said JETCO must have an agriculture focus, but added: 'A working group on legal services already exists under JETCO to examine the requirements of non-practice legal advisory services for enhancement of bilateral trade and investment.'


The Lord Chancellor, Lord Falconer, is to visit India next month, where he is expected to raise the practice rights issue.