Accountability of Advocates in Professional Advice: Supreme Court’s Ruling in Vinod v. State of Rajasthan
Accountability of Advocates in Professional Advice: Supreme Court’s Ruling in Vinod v. State of Rajasthan By Advocate Abhishek Jat The Supreme Court of India, in its recent decision in Vinod v. State of Rajasthan (Criminal Appeal No. 4292 of 2024, decided on 15 January 2025), has provided crucial clarity on the professional accountability of advocates, particularly in relation to advice rendered informally. The ruling, delivered by a Division Bench comprising Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice Manmohan, holds particular importance in an era where mobile conversations, WhatsApp messages, and other digital communications frequently come under judicial scrutiny. The central issue before the Court was whether an advocate could be exposed to criminal liability on the basis of advice given casually over a phone call, when such advice subsequently emerged as incriminating material in a criminal investigation. The appellant had argued that as a member of the Bar, his communication with a clien...