Lawyers have hailed the judgment of the Supreme Court exempting them from prosecution under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, noting that the ruling rightly draws a distinction between professionals and those involved in business.

“It’s a welcome decision. The court has correctly come to the conclusion that an advocate being a professional is not covered within the purview of the Consumer Protection Act,” said Indranil D. Deshmukh, partner (head – disputes) at Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas.

Deshmukh noted the court rightly held that the legal profession is regulated by the Bar Council of India and any grievance with respect to a lawyer’s service must be raised with the council and not the consumer forum.