In a blow to Central and state bar councils, Kerala High Court today held that being a priest or nun in itself cannot be a disqualification for enrolment as advocates and quashed the Bar Council Enrolment Committee’s decision not to take in a priest and two nuns as lawyers.Allowing three petitions filed by two nuns—Sister Tina Jose, Sister M Tessy—and priest Thomas Pudussery, Justice K Balakrishnan Nair directed the bar council to reconsider their applications in a month.Both Central and state bar councils had opposed enrolling priests and nuns as advocates, which was challenged by the petitioners.‘‘Being a priest or nun by itself cannot be a disqualification for enroling as advocates. If a priest or nun is employed as a full-time teacher or nurse, then he or she may be ineligible,’’ the court held. In such cases, they could be asked to quit employment as a condition for enrolment, the judge observed.The Kerala Bar Council’s Enrolment Committee had recently decided against permitting them to enrol, as they were engaged in religious activities.
