Srinagar, July 31 -- In a significant ruling that upholds the foundational principles of justice and legal ethics, the Supreme Court has categorically stated that investigating agencies cannot summon a lawyer merely for providing legal advice to a client who is under investigation. The apex court took suo motu cognisance of the matter after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) issued summons to two senior lawyers solely on the grounds that they had rendered professional services to individuals under probe. This judgment marks a crucial reaffirmation of the constitutional and professional independence of the legal fraternity. It underscores a basic tenet of any democratic system - that every individual has a right to legal representation, and ...