TN Bar Council elects Selvam as new chairman

CHENNAI: Advocate D Selvam was elected as the chairman of the Bar Council of Tamil Nadu & Puducherry in the elections held in the city on Saturday. P S Amalraj is the new vice-chairman of the Council.TN Advocates Association (TNAA) president S Prabakaran will be the representative of the TN Bar Council to the Bar Council of India (BCI) in New Delhi.In all, 172 advocates contested for the 25 posts of members for the TN Bar Council at the elections held across the State on March 4 last. Of the 25 members, three were elected as chairman, vice-chairman and TN Bar Council Representative to the BCI on Saturday.While Selvam secured 17 votes, Amalraj and Prabakaran bagged 16 each.Speaking to journalists after the election, Prabakaran urged Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa to eliminate the discrimination in the Bar on receiving welfare funds in the event of death. The highest amount of Rs 5 lakh must be paid to the family members, irrespective of the age of the lawyers and their experience in the Bar, he said.He also appealed to the CM to pay monthly stipend to the young advocates, as is in vogue in other states and provide housing facility to the lawyers.