BCI Has No Power to Discipline Law Students Before Enrolment: Supreme Court
· India · Indian Express, The Hindu, Live Law
The Supreme Court held that the Bar Council of India and State Bar Councils lack the statutory authority to take disciplinary action against law students before their enrolment as advocates. A three-judge bench presided by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant stated that such disciplinary matters fall exclusively within the domain of the students' educational institutions under the Advocates Act, 1961. The ruling came while the bench was examining communications issued by BCI chairman Manan Kumar Mishra on August 13 against students of NALSAR University of Law. The BCI directive had instructed state Bar councils not to enrol students from NALSAR's 2026 batch who opposed CJI Kant attending their annual convocation. The directive was withdrawn hours later after the BCI concluded that the students had no role in any disturbance.
Why it matters
The ruling protects law students' autonomy and freedom of expression within universities by stripping regulatory bodies like the BCI of any jurisdiction over student conduct before enrolment.
Read the original report — Indian Express
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