Politics · India Bureau
Supreme Court directs BCI to consult law officers on policy matters
The Supreme Court has mandated that the Bar Council of India must actively involve the Attorney General and Solicitor General in all policy decisions. The directive came during hearings on pleas challenging the tenure of BCI chairperson Manan Kumar Mishra.
LSN India ·
India's top court on Wednesday imposed a new governance requirement on the Bar Council of India, stipulating that both the Attorney General for India and the Solicitor General for India must be actively associated with every policy decision undertaken by the council.
A bench headed by Chief Justice Surya Kant, along with Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana, issued the directive while hearing multiple petitions challenging the extended tenure of BCI chairperson Manan Kumar Mishra and seeking his removal from the position.
According to the petitions, Mishra was initially elected as BCI chairman with a term ending in 2012. Although he briefly stepped down in 2014, he returned to the chairperson's office in November that same year and has continued in the role since then, as outlined in a plea filed by advocate Yogamaya MG.
The Supreme Court's decision to mandate consultation with the country's chief law officers reflects growing judicial oversight of the Bar Council's administrative and policy-making functions. The ruling aims to ensure greater institutional alignment between the BCI and the government's legal apparatus while strengthening accountability in the council's decision-making processes.