Supreme Court reviews Bar Council of India regulatory powers

The Supreme Court of India is examining the regulatory authority of the Bar Council of India (BCI) regarding legal education and professional licensing. A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi, and Justice V. Mohana is investigating whether the BCI’s mandate is limited to licensing lawyers and regulating professional conduct, or if it extends to controlling the academic affairs of law colleges and universities.

The scrutiny follows a dispute involving the National Academy of Legal Studies and Research (NALSAR), after the BCI directed state bar councils not to enroll graduates from the NALSAR 2026 batch until further notice. The Court noted that academic matters might be better managed by legal scholars and academics rather than a professional regulatory body.

Additionally, the Court is addressing a petition regarding age limits for five-year law courses. The BCI argued that age caps are necessary because most five-year programs are residential. However, the Court questioned this reasoning, noting that not all five-year courses are residential, citing Calcutta University as an example. The BCI has been granted two weeks to clarify its position on whether it is willing to remove the maximum age limit for these programs.