Home / Crime and Justice / Supreme Court Bars Bar Councils from Policing Law Students
Supreme Court Bars Bar Councils from Policing Law Students
3 Sep
Summary
- Supreme Court ruled Bar Councils lack authority over law students.
- Educational institutions are responsible for student discipline.
- BCI notifications on NALSAR controversy struck down by the court.
The Supreme Court recently declared that the Bar Council of India (BCI) and its state counterparts lack the statutory power to impose disciplinary actions on law students. According to the ruling, educational institutions are solely responsible for managing student conduct according to their internal regulations.
This significant judgment arose from a controversy involving NALSAR University of Law in Hyderabad. The Supreme Court explicitly struck down two notifications issued by the BCI concerning this dispute, even though the council had withdrawn them following public criticism. The bench clarified that the Advocates Act, 1961, does not grant the BCI or state bar councils authority over students' behavior.
The court emphasized that disciplinary powers over students reside with their respective institutions. Such authority only shifts to the BCI after a law graduate registers as an advocate. The ruling declared all related BCI communications void, reinforcing the principle that disciplinary matters for students fall under institutional jurisdiction.
