New Delhi, June 6 -- Chief Justice of India (CJI) BR Gavai on Thursday welcomed the Bar Council of India's (BCI) decision to allow foreign lawyers and law firms to practise foreign law in India, terming it a crucial step in opening up India's legal ecosystem to global best practices and elevating the country's status as an international arbitration hub. Delivering the keynote address at the 3rd Edition of the International Conference on "Arbitrating Indo-UK Commercial Disputes" in London, CJI Gavai said: "The decision of the Bar Council of India will provide a pathway to introduce global best practices in the Indian arbitration ecosystem which will be effective in increasing the overall quality of arbitration in India." The CJI was referring to the BCI's notification on May 14 this year, that formally brought into effect the rules for the registration and regulation of foreign lawyers and foreign law firms in India. These rules permit foreign lawyers to practise only non-litigious matters involving foreign law, international law and arbitration, especially in cross-border and commercial disputes. Until this regulatory change, foreign lawyers were barred from practising in India unless they met the requirements under the Advocates Act, 1961....