R.D. SAXENA vs BALRAM PRASAD SHARMA

The Supreme Court addressed the issue of whether an advocate has a lien for his fees on litigation papers entrusted to him by his client under the Advocates Act, 1961. The Court held that while an advocate may have a right to retain files until fees are paid, this right must be exercised reasonably and cannot be used to deny the client access to their documents. The Court upheld the Bar Council's decision to impose an 18-month debarment and a fine on the advocate for professional misconduct in failing to return the case files to the client.