{"id":390762,"date":"2026-07-18T14:30:19","date_gmt":"2026-07-18T09:00:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/?p=390762"},"modified":"2026-07-18T14:28:33","modified_gmt":"2026-07-18T08:58:33","slug":"ker-hc-foreign-counsel-cannot-examine-witness-before-advocate-commissioner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2026\/07\/18\/ker-hc-foreign-counsel-cannot-examine-witness-before-advocate-commissioner\/","title":{"rendered":"Foreign counsel cannot examine witnesses before Advocate Commissioner in execution of Hague Convention Letter of Request: Kerala HC"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

Kerala High Court:<\/span> While considering whether foreign counsel representing parties in proceedings pending before a foreign court could be permitted to examine or cross-examine a witness before an Advocate Commissioner appointed by the High Court, a Single Judge Bench of Mohammed Nias C.P.<\/span>, J., held that a foreign counsel cannot examine witnesses before Advocate Commissioner and that such participation would be contrary to the Advocates Act, the Bar Council of India Rules governing foreign lawyers, and the procedural framework applicable to execution of letters of request under Indian law. The Court nevertheless permitted the foreign counsel to attend, observe and participate in the proceedings, while directing that examination and cross-examination be conducted only through an Indian counsel.<\/p>\n

Also Read:<\/span> BCI press release slams SILF<\/a><\/p>\n

Background<\/p>\n

The applicant is a private company incorporated and operating in New York, United States of America (USA), creating customised lending solutions for real estate investors and developers in the USA, while the respondent is an Indian citizen engaged in private information technology consulting. The applicant instituted a civil suit before the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York (US District Court) for recovery of money founded on allegations of fraud, breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty and unjust enrichment.<\/p>\n

The applicant requested for issuance of a letter of request based on Article 3 of the Hague Convention on the taking of Evidence Abroad in Civil or Commercial Matters (Hague Convention) regarding evidence which was sought from the respondent. The US District Court issued the letter of request to the Indian Ministry of Law and Justice seeking international judicial assistance for obtaining documentary and oral evidence from the respondent, including communications, documents, invoices, and payment receipts relevant to the issues pending before it. The present proceedings arose from a miscellaneous jurisdiction case instituted under Order 26 Rule 20(a<\/span>)<\/a>, Civil Procedure Code, 1908<\/a> (CPC), seeking the issuance of a Commission for the examination of witnesses and collection of evidence from the respondent, who resided within the territorial jurisdiction of this Court.<\/span><\/p>\n

By an earlier order, this Court appointed an Advocate Commissioner and empowered the Commissioner to summon persons, direct production of documents, administer oath and record evidence. Thereafter, parties who were defendants and counter-claimants in the proceedings before the US District Court sought impleadment and requested permission for their United States counsel to participate in the evidence-gathering process, including conducting examination and cross-examination of the witness, but the request was opposed by the applicant.<\/p>\n

The applicant contended that Article 9 of the Hague Convention requires execution of a letter of request in accordance with the law of the State of execution. It was also argued that foreign lawyers cannot practice in India and are permitted only in limited areas such as foreign law, non-litigious international legal issues and international arbitration, as per the Bar Council of India Rules for Registration and Regulation of Foreign Lawyers and Foreign Law Firms in India, 2022 (BCI Rules).<\/span><\/p>\n

Also Read:<\/span> BCI: Foreign Lawyers & Firms Regulations to Break Monopolies<\/a><\/p>\n

On the other hand, the respondents submitted that the Court could exercise powers under Section 32<\/a>, Advocates Act, 1961<\/a> (Advocates Act) and permit participation by foreign counsel in the peculiar circumstances of the case. It was argued that proceedings under Order 26 Rules 19<\/a>—22<\/a> CPC<\/a> are facilitative rather than adjudicatory and therefore the matter should not be equated with ordinary civil trials in which a foreign lawyer seeks to intervene through the back door. They further contended that the Hague Convention permits special procedures to be followed unless incompatible with Indian law and that no prejudice would be caused if the witness were examined or cross-examined by foreign counsel, as would ordinarily occur before the US District Court.<\/p>\n

Analysis<\/p>\n

The Court referred to Article 9 of the Hague Convention and noted that the judicial authority executing a letter of request must apply its own law as to the methods and procedures. The Court also noted that a special method requested by the foreign court can be followed only when it is not incompatible with the law of the State of execution. The Court observed that the letter of request itself stipulated that examinations should be conducted under the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure of the United States of America only to the extent that such procedure was compatible with Indian law. The Court therefore held that the process of recording evidence in India must necessarily align with the law applicable in India.<\/p>\n

The Court examined Sections 29<\/a> and 33<\/a>, Advocates Act<\/a> which recognise advocates as the only class of persons entitled to practise the profession of law and prohibit practice before courts or authorities except by enrolled advocates. The Court further noted that Section 47 embodies the principle of reciprocity regarding foreign lawyers and legal qualifications.<\/p>\n

The Court referred to BCI<\/span> v. A.K. Balaji<\/span>, (2018) 5 SCC 379<\/a>, wherein it was held that foreign lawyers and foreign law firms cannot practise law in India, whether on the litigation or non-litigation side, without complying with the regulatory framework prescribed under the Advocates Act and the BCI Rules. It was further observed that though there was no bar for the foreign lawyers to visit India for a temporary period on a “fly in and fly out” basis for the purpose of giving legal advice to their clients in India, the expression “fly in and fly out” will only cover a casual visit not amounting to “practice”. The Court highlighted that the BCI Rules permit foreign lawyers only in specified and regulated fields and expressly prohibit appearances before Indian Courts, tribunals or authorities empowered to record evidence on oath.<\/p>\n

The Court discussed whether examination before a Commissioner in proceedings of the instant nature could be treated as practise. The Court opined that litigious practice includes rendering assistance by acting, appearing and pleading on behalf of another person before a court or authority. The Court highlighted that an Advocate Commissioner functions as the “eyes and ears” of the Court, an “extended arm and agent” of the Court and, for the purpose entrusted, a “projection of the Court”. Since the Commissioner’s report constitutes evidence in the proceedings, the recording of testimony before the Commissioner is a judicial act and forms part of the practice of law in India. Consequently, examination or cross-examination before the Commissioner appointed under Order 26 CPC<\/a> falls outside each of the categories of legal work permitted to foreign lawyers under the BCI Rules.<\/p>\n

The Court also noted that Order 3 CPC<\/a> confines appearance before courts to parties, recognised agents and pleaders. Since a foreign lawyer does not satisfy the statutory position of a pleader under CPC<\/a> and the Advocates Act, the Court held that such lawyers are not entitled to appear before the Commissioner for examining or cross-examining the witnesses.<\/p>\n

With respect to Section 32<\/a>, Advocates Act<\/a>, the Court observed that the provision only confers discretion upon a court to permit appearance by a non-advocate in appropriate cases. The Court relied on Harishankar Rastogi<\/span> v. Girdhari Sharma<\/span>, (1978) 2 SCC 165<\/a>, wherein it was observed that any person who is not qualified as an Advocate under the Advocates Act has no right to barge into a court and claim or argue for a party. It was observed that a person seeking permission under Section 32 must show good reasons like:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. \n

    he is unable to engage a lawyer,<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  2. \n

    he is unable to represent his case himself,<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  3. \n

    a person to be represented by another person is sufficiently connected with him, and<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  4. \n

    in such manner as to show that he is not performing anything in profession in presenting the case of the former.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    The Court observed that none of the circumstances warranting exercise of such discretionary power were attracted in the present case. The Court opined that permitting foreign counsel to conduct examination would be an indirect method to achieve something that cannot be done directly.<\/p>\n

    The Court further noted that the Bombay, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka High Courts had adopted a similar approach by permitting foreign lawyers only to attend and observe the proceedings while directing that the examination and cross-examination would be conducted through an Indian counsel.<\/p>\n

    Decision<\/p>\n

    Accordingly, the Court declined the request to permit foreign counsel to conduct examination and cross-examination of the witness before the Advocate Commissioner. However, the Court permitted foreign counsel and representatives to attend, observe and participate in the proceedings. The Court directed that examination and cross-examination of the witness shall be conducted only by the respective Indian counsel appearing for the parties.<\/p>\n

    [Sharestates, Inc.<\/span> v. Prasad Choorakuzhiyil Gopalan<\/span>, IA 1 of 2026 in MJC No. 82 of 2026, decided on 13-7-2026<\/span>]<\/p>\n\n

    Advocates who appeared in this case:<\/p>\n

    For the Applicant:<\/span> Nayanpally Ramola, Parvathy Kottol, Pranoy Harilal, Giridhar Krishna Kumar, Jaiswal Harshit Chetan Kumar, M. Shajna (K\/1017\/2006), Advocate Commissioner.<\/p>\n

    For the Respondents:<\/span> P. Prijith, Sidharth A. Menon, Thomas P. Kuruvilla, Advocates.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    The Kerala High Court held that foreign lawyers cannot examine witnesses before an Advocate Commissioner appointed for execution of a letter of request issued by a foreign court under the Hague Convention. The recording evidence before a Commissioner is a litigious function forming part of the practice of law in India and falls within an area reserved exclusively for advocates enrolled under the Advocates Act, 1961.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":67538,"featured_media":390764,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,10],"tags":[48730,51197,110191,110186,110185,110183,92752,78296,2523,110184,110187,110188,110190,110189],"class_list":["post-390762","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-casebriefs","category-highcourts","tag-advocate-commissioner","tag-advocates-act-1961","tag-article-3-hague-convention-on-the-taking-of-evidence-abroad-in-civil-or-commercial-matters","tag-bar-council-of-india-rules-for-registration-and-regulation-of-foreign-lawyers-and-foreign-law-firms-in-india-2022","tag-cross-examination-by-foreign-lawyer","tag-foreign-counsel","tag-foreign-lawyers-in-india","tag-justice-mohammed-nias-c-p","tag-Kerala_High_Court","tag-letter-of-request","tag-litigious-practice","tag-order-26-cpc","tag-order-3-cpc","tag-section-32-advocates-act-1961"],"yoast_head":"\nForeign 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