Public interest litigation threshold rejected for advocates; court held they can approach the court directly and dismissed the petition.

Public interest litigation is intended to secure relief for persons who face social or economic barriers to approaching the court, such as poverty, illiteracy, indigence, ignorance, or lack of legal understanding. Advocates were found not to fall within that class because they are legally trained and capable of asserting their own rights directly. On that basis, a PIL seeking inclusion of advocates within a welfare scheme framework did not meet the threshold for public interest litigation and was dismissed as not entertainable.

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Issues: Whether the public interest litigation filed for inclusion of advocates within the welfare scheme framework was entertainable.

Analysis: Public interest litigation is ordinarily meant to secure relief for classes of persons who are unable to approach the court because of social or economic handicaps such as poverty, illiteracy, indigence, ignorance, or lack of legal understanding. Advocates are a legally trained and capable class and can approach the court directly if aggrieved. On that basis, the petition did not satisfy the threshold for entertainment as a public interest petition.

Conclusion: The petition was not entertainable as a public interest litigation and was dismissed.

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