Supreme Court petition seeks removal of long-standing BCI chief amid tenure dispute

A Supreme Court plea submitted by advocate Yogamaya MG, with counsel Deepak Prakash, seeks to oust Bar Council of India chairman Manan Kumar Mishra, alleging his near-twelve-year hold on the post breaches Rule 12(2) that stipulates a two-year term. The petition contests an April 21, 2025 Gazette order extending Mishra's term to 2030, asserting that an administrative notice cannot supersede statutory limits. Reliefs include Mishra's removal, time-bound fresh elections under independent supervision, and a cumulative cap on tenure, along with a cooling-off period and rotational mechanism for future chairs.

The filing also requests an independent committee, headed by a former Supreme Court judge or high-court chief justice, to audit the BCI Trust "PEARL-FIRST" and the finances of the All India Bar Examination. Mishra, who was elected unopposed for a seventh consecutive term in March 2025 and was nominated to the Rajya Sabha by the BJP in 2024, has refused to step down despite lawyer protests over the BCI's handling of a NALSAR University enrollment order. The petition emphasizes that the challenge targets structural illegality and concentration of power, not Mishra's political affiliation.