Sri Lanka, May 22 -- Members of the legal fraternity should be able to discharge their professional duties without any fear or limitation, the Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) said in a strongly worded statement.

The Bar Association said it has received reports of several instances where law enforcement agencies and prosecuting authorities seek to obtain access to information in the possession of Attorneys-at-Law in relation to the professional duties they discharge.

The BASL emphasized that legal practitioners act on the lawful instructions of their clients are bound by professional duties of confidentiality adding that the duties are firmly established under the Supreme Court Rules and the Evidence Ordinance, which prohibit disclos...