Ayodhya Bar bans defending 8 accused embezzling Ram Temple funds
India
The Ayodhya Bar Association has told its members not to defend the eight people accused of embezzling money meant for building the Ram Temple.
Any lawyer who takes up their case could face a hefty ₹5 lakh fine.
But here's the catch: the Supreme Court has previously ruled that everyone has a right to a lawyer, no matter what they're accused of.
Supreme Court affirms right to counsel
Back in 2010, the Supreme Court made it clear that banning lawyers from certain cases is unconstitutional and actually hurts democracy.
The court pointed out that even in tough or controversial cases, the right to legal representation is key.
Lawyers are expected to stand by these principles, no matter how unpopular the case might be.