By Matters India Reporter

Kochi: Christian priests and nuns engaged in legal profession in Kerala have formed a forum to enhance their efforts to bring justice to the poor and downtrodden.

“Justice is a fundamental virtue in Christianity,” asserted Justice Cyriac Joseph, a former Supreme Court who was the chief guest at the meeting of the National Lawyers Forum at the Pastoral Orientation Centre in Kochi that launched its local unity.

Around 25 priest and nun lawyers attended the September 16 program.

Justice Joseph asserted that priests and religious lawyers, while practicing legal profession, share the mandate of Christ who assured justice for the poor and downtrodden in society. “Both the Old Testament prophets and the public ministry of Jesus witnessed this delivery of Justice,” he added.

The National Lawyers Forum was formed on January 15 at a meeting of priests and nuns engaged in legal profession in various parts of India at Pune, Maharashtra.

The forum envisions to reinforce the legal practice by priests and religious lawyers becoming catalysts in defending the cause of the poor and marginalized and to become a watchdog of the evolving legal system in the changing socio political scenario in the country.

The Kochi meeting aimed to bring together religious and priests in Kerala and to clarify the significance of their practicing law in the courts. The meeting took place a day after India’s Supreme Court upheld a Kerala High Court verdict that legally qualified Christian priests and nuns to practice as lawyers.

The apex court rejected a Bar Council of India appeal against the High Court ruling. The Supreme Court found no objections to priests and nuns pursuing the legal profession.

The Kerala Bar Council in 2004 declined to enroll Father Thomas Puthussery and Sisters Tina Jose and M. Tessy. The council, quoting section 2 (H) of the Kerala Bar Council regulations and section 24 of the Advocates Act, argued that priests and nuns came under the category of employed people and hence they cannot be allowed to work as lawyers.

All three of them filed writ petitions in the High Court. The bar council argued that if clergymen and nuns were allowed to practice law, people in other professions would also have to be considered. The HC did not accept that argument and on November 11, 2005, annulled the bar council decision.

The Kochi meeting was presided over by Father Varghese Vallikkattu, director of Pastoral Orientation Center and deputy secretary general of the Kerala Catholic Bishops’ Council. Vincentian Fathers Sebastian Thundathikunnel, president of the Kerala unit of the Conference of Religious India, and Clarentian Father Johny Kattuparayil, coordinator of the National Lawyers Forum, also addressed the meet.

Franciscan Clarist Congregation Sister Shephy Davis, a lawyer and coordinator of the Kerala forum, welcomed the gathering.