The Supreme Court ruled that the BCI has no statutory authority to regulate the conduct of law students.
It said educational institutions must deal with student misconduct under their own rules and regulations.
The Supreme Court on Thursday held that the Bar Council of India (BCI) has no statutory power to regulate the conduct of law students, saying disciplinary action against students falls within the domain of their educational institutions.
A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana passed the order while hearing a matter arising from the BCI’s action against students of Hyderabad’s NALSAR University of Law over their objections to the proposed participation of the Chief Justice of India in the university’s convocation.
The court set aside two notifications issued by the BCI in connection with the NALSAR controversy. Both notifications had been withdrawn within hours of being issued following widespread criticism.
The bench made it clear that the BCI could not exercise regulatory control over students before they become advocates and fall within the statutory framework governing the legal profession.
It said any action against students over their conduct was for the educational institution concerned to consider under its own rules and regulations.
The controversy erupted last month after the BCI directed state bar councils not to enrol NALSAR’s 2026 graduates as advocates until further orders. The move followed allegations concerning a campaign by students against CJI Surya Kant’s proposed visit to the university.
The Supreme Court’s ruling effectively drew a distinction between the BCI’s statutory regulatory authority over advocates and the disciplinary jurisdiction of educational institutions over their students.
