Supreme Court orders Bar Council of India to involve top law officers in policy making
The Supreme Court directed that the Attorney General and Solicitor General must be consulted on every Bar Council of India policy decision while hearing challenges to chairperson Manan Kumar Mishra’s extended tenure.
In New Delhi, the Supreme Court issued a directive that the Attorney General for India and the Solicitor General for India must be consulted on each policy decision taken by the Bar Council of India. The ruling was delivered by a bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana while hearing writ petitions that question the legality of Manan Kumar Mishra’s long-standing tenure as BCI chairperson.
Advocates M Varadhan and Yogamaya MG, who brought the petitions, argue that Mishra, first elected in 2012, briefly stepped down in 2014 but returned later that year and has remained in office since. The petitioners also seek a comprehensive audit of the council’s financial dealings and those of the BCI-PEARL FIRST TRUST. The court’s observation aims to ensure that the apex body overseeing the legal profession operates with appropriate governmental oversight. This development comes amid broader concerns about governance and transparency within the Bar Council of India.
Why it matters
It ensures top legal officials oversee the Bar Council's policies, impacting the regulation of India's legal profession.
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