Advocate’s Day (3rd December)

Advocate’s Day  is celebrated in our country by the lawyer community on 3rd december every year to mark the birth anniversary of Dr. Rajendra Prasad, the First President of India and a very eminent lawyer.

Rajendra Prasad was born on December 3, 1884. Having graduated from school, he studied at the Presidency College in Calcutta and the University of Calcutta. Initially Prasad was a science student. In 1907, he completed his M.A. in economics and began teaching.

In 1909, Prasad decided to pursue law studies. He completed his Bachelor in Law in 1910 and passed his Masters in Law in 1915, receiving a gold medal. The following year, Prasad joined the High Court of Bihar and Odisha. He also practiced law in the city of Bhagalpur.

A supporter of Mahatma Gandhi, Prasad was imprisoned by British authorities during the Salt Satyagraha of 1931 and the Quit India movement of 1942. After the 1946 elections, Prasad served as Minister of Food and Agriculture in the central government. Upon independence in 1947, Prasad was elected as President of the Constituent Assembly of India, which prepared the Constitution of India and served as its provisional parliament.

As President of India, he duly acted as required by the Constitution, independent of any political party. He travelled the world extensively as an ambassador of India, building diplomatic rapport with foreign nations. He was re-elected for two consecutive terms in 1952 and 1957, and is the only President of India to achieve this feat. The Mughal Gardens at the Rashtrapati Bhavan were open to public for about a month for the first time during his tenure, and since then it has been a big attraction for people in Delhi and other parts of the country.

He died on 28 February 1963, aged 78. Rajendra Smriti Sangrahalaya in Patna is dedicated to him.

Significant Role Played by Advocates in Society:-

Any person who supports or recommends for the cause of others or for a change is said to be advocating for the cause. However, a person who takes up the noble profession to plead for the cause of others, to fight for the rights of others and to fight for justice is called an “Advocate”

1. Advocates have been instrumental in spearheading movements in the society for a positive change. In modern times lawyers in various countries have given leadership to their nations. In the great American and French Revolutions many of the leading figures were lawyers. 

2. The reason why many great leaders in various countries were lawyers is that the legal profession is objectively in the position of producing statesmen.

This is due to two reasons:-

 1) Lawyers belong to an independent profession, they are not subordinate to the Government or to anyone else.   2) they are directly in contact with society in its entirety as they have to deal with all kinds of problems of people from all sections of society, unlike say, doctors who are confined to medical problems or engineers who are confined to technical problems.

3. The central function of the legal profession is to promote the administration of justice. Every civilised society sustains itself on the “Rule of Law” and the lawyers being the primary supporters of it aid and assist its operation in a meaningful measure. 

4. The legal profession is different from other professions in that what the lawyers do, affects not only an individual but the administration of justice which is the foundation of the civilised society. It is to be noted that when people suffer from medical problems, they have to endure and suffer, whereas when people are meted out with injustice, it is intolerable and they pull down the whole structure.

In modern times, many lawyers have given leadership to India, like Prashant Bhushan, and Ram Vilas Paswan, and this happens because this profession itself holds pure knowledge about the laws of various fields. And it is indeed a fascinating field which is why a lot of people wish to become lawyers in different types. Lawyers of our country have been noteworthy in shaping revolutionary movements in the society for a constant positive change, and they truly deserve a day on their name due to their huge contribution in society.

Celebration

During this special day of celebration, people take time to remember Rajendra Prasad and lawyers also join together to celebrate their profession and honour Rajendra Prasad who was one of the most successful lawyers in the country. Another promising reason to celebrate this day is the respectable lawyers we have got, and these lawyers make justice prosper. They help the wrongly accused get free. They similarly help in fair settlements and many other things. And this is why lawyers deserve to be honoured during this special Advocate’s Day.