Advocate misconduct complaints lie before Bar Council authorities, not the Tribunal, under the Advocates Act framework.

Allegations of professional misconduct or breach of advocate conduct rules are to be dealt with only by the statutory disciplinary authorities under the Advocates Act, 1961, not by the Tribunal where the grievance arises. The Tribunal noted that disciplinary control over advocates, including inquiry into professional or other misconduct, lies with the State Bar Council and the Bar Council of India under the statutory procedure. It therefore lacked jurisdiction to entertain the complaint or grant disciplinary relief against the advocate, and the applicants were left to pursue redress before the appropriate Bar Council forum.

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Issues: Whether the Tribunal had jurisdiction to entertain a complaint alleging violation of professional conduct and etiquette by an advocate and to grant relief on that basis.

Analysis: The complaint centred on alleged breaches of the standards governing advocates and restrictions on appearance before the Tribunal. The relevant framework under the Advocates Act, 1961 vests disciplinary control over professional or other misconduct in the State Bar Council and the Bar Council of India, with the prescribed disciplinary procedure and powers. On a plain reading of that statutory scheme, allegations of professional misconduct by an advocate do not fall within the Tribunal's adjudicatory jurisdiction. The Tribunal therefore could not itself decide the complaint or grant the requested disciplinary relief.

Conclusion: The Tribunal had no jurisdiction to entertain the grievance regarding alleged misconduct of the advocate, and the applicants were relegated to the appropriate forum under the Advocates Act, 1961.

Final Conclusion: The application was closed by declining to exercise jurisdiction over the professional conduct complaint, while leaving the applicants to seek redress before the Bar Council.

Ratio Decidendi: Allegations of professional misconduct or breach of advocate conduct rules are to be dealt with only by the statutory disciplinary authorities under the Advocates Act, 1961, and not by the Tribunal in whose proceedings the grievance arises.

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