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PETITIONER: ZILA DASTAVEJ LEKHAK ASSOCIATIONBANDA & ANR.

       Vs.

RESPONDENT: STATE OF U.P. & ORS.

DATE OF JUDGMENT:       02/04/1996

BENCH: RAMASWAMY, K. BENCH: RAMASWAMY, K. G.B. PATTANAIK (J)

CITATION:  1996 AIR 2107            JT 1996 (4)   738  1996 SCALE  (4)34

ACT:

HEADNOTE:

JUDGMENT:                          O R D E R      The petitioner,  which is  an Association  representing the persons  who had  licences to scribe documents under the U.P. Document  Writers Licence  Rules, 1977  [for short, the ’Rules’] challenged  the vires  of Rule  6 [2]  of the Rules which reads thus:      "Nothing  in   sub-rule  [1]  shall      apply  where  the  writer  of  such      document  is  one  of  the  parties      thereto or  is a pleader engaged by      the  parties  for  drawing  up  the      documents".      The  contention   of  the   learned  counsel   for  the petitioner is  that Rule  5  prescribes  qualifications  for granting licence.  Rule A  prescribes the number of document writers. Rule  10 prescribes the charging of the fee and the period of  licence  prescribed  under  Rule  8.  A  conjoint reading of  these rules  envisages that the document writers are treated  as a class. The exclusion of the advocates from the purview  of the  provisions of  the Registration  Act is ultra vires the  power of Inspector General of Registrations under Section 69 [hhh] of the Registration Act, 1908 as amended by  the State Legislature [for short, the ’Act’]. We find no  force in  the contention. Section 69 [hhh] provides thus:      "Providing   for   the   grant   of      licences to  document writers,  the      suspension or  revocation  of  such      licences, the terms and conditions,      subject to Which and  the authority      by  whom  such  licences  shall  he      granted, suspended  or revoked, and      generally    for    all    purposes      connected  with   the  drafting  or      writing by such document writers of

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    documents  to   be  presented   for      registration.      A conjoint  reading of  Section 32 of the Act read with Section 69  [hhh] of  the Act would indicate that person who executes the  document either himself or through an agent is the  proper  person  to  present  the  document  before  the registering authority.  The persons  eligible to  write  the documents are  regulated under  the rule-making  power under Section 69  of the  Act.  The  U.P.  State  Legislature  had amended  the  section  by  incorporating  sub-section  [hhh] introducing the  classification of  the persons  eligible to draft  the   documents  and  for  presentation  thereof  for registration, The  Rules  have  been  made  in  that  behalf classifying the  persons to  be the  document  writers.  The period of  licence, the  power to  suspend  the  licence  or revocation  thereof,  has  been  regulated  thereunder.  The members of  the petitioner-Association,  having  become  the licensees under  the Rules,  are bound thereby. Firstly, the petitioner-Association being  consisting of  the members who obtained licence under the Rules, cannot challenge the Rules under which  they came  to operate.  The very  source  under which they came to operate either survives or perishes under the Rules.  They cannot  challenge that  part of  the  Rules which is  unfavorable  to  them  while  at  the  same  time, respecting the  favorable part  thereof since  they have  no independent right  de hors  the Rules. They cannot challenge the power of the Inspector General of Registration in making the rules  regulating conditions of the document writers and the conditions  under  which  they  become  eligible  to  be document writers.      The question  then is:  whether the  advocates would be required  to  obtain  licence  under  the  Rules  to  become document writers.  An advocate by virtue of his sanad having been granted  by  the  appropriate  Bar  Council  under  the Advocates Act,  1961 is  entitled to draft the pleadings and appear and  practise before  the  courts  and  tribunals  or persons legally authorized to take evidence under Section 30 unless he  is otherwise  excluded. As  a part  of  practice, advocates are  entitled to  draft the documents on behalf of the parties  and produce  them before registering officer if he undertakes  such exercise.  As a  consequence, Rule 6 [2] seeks to  exclude from  the purview  of Rules  the party who himself  presents  the  document  for  registration  or  the advocate who  drafts the  document and presents the same, if needed  by   the  party,   for  registration.   Under  these circumstance, advocate. stand as a class by themselves apart from the document writers governed by the Rules. An advocate does not  need any  further certificate  from the  Licensing Authority under  the Rules  to have  the power  to draft the document and  if need  be to present it at his option before registering officer  for registration  of the instrument. He gets his  right only  by virtue of practice of profession as advocate.  Therefore,  the  contention  of  the  petitioner- Association that  its members  are excluded from the purview of Rule 6 [2] is devoid of substance.      The special leave petition is accordingly dismissed .