NEW DELHI: Quoting a US judgment that said harassing lawyers is a step in the direction of a totalitarian form of govt, Supreme Court on Friday said no investigating agency could issue summons to an advocate for questioning merely because they gave legal opinion, advice or represented a person accused of committing a serious crime or huge financial irregularity. A bench of CJI B R Gavai and Justices K Vinod Chandran and N V Anjaria stressed an advocate could not be coerced into revealing any information with respect to the client they represented or the cause they were engaged to prosecute or defend. “Such privilege extends to legal opinions given by an advocate to individuals, corporates, firms and associations,” it said. SC had taken suo motu cognizance of the issuance of summons to

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