Supreme Court scrutinizes Bar Council of India: Its powers and limits explained

The Supreme Court has scrutinized the Bar Council of India (BCI) over two consecutive days, questioning the continuation of its leadership and ruling it lacks statutory power to discipline law students. The court directed the attorney general and solicitor general to be associated with all policy decisions until a fresh BCI is elected. BCI, established under the Advocates Act, 1961, is constituted through a tiered electoral process where lawyers elect State Bar Council members, who then elect BCI representatives, who in turn elect the chairman and vice-chairman. Its functions include prescribing professional conduct standards, legal education standards, and supervising State Bar Councils. The scrutiny follows BCI chairman Manan Kumar Mishra's controversial direction to bar councils not to enrol NALSAR University law students, which was later withdrawn with an apology. BCI co-chairman Ved Prakash Sharma welcomed the court's directions, noting the attorney general and solicitor general are already ex officio BCI members.