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Nearly a period aft Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant expressed interest implicit the increasing fig of lawyers possessing dubious degrees, the Supreme Court connected Thursday (June 18, 2026) sought responses from the Central government, the Bar Council of India (BCI), State Bar Councils, and the University Grants Commission (UGC) connected a plea seeking the instauration of an “authoritative nationalist database” of enrolled advocates and a codification of behaviour governing lawyers’ usage of societal media and integer platforms.
The petition, filed by the Bar Association of India (BAI), said these “structural crises” successful the governance of the ineligible assemblage person antecedently been acknowledged by the apex tribunal and the BCI.
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A Bench comprising CJI Kant and Justice V. Mohana described the proposals arsenic “innovative”, but observed that immoderate workout to make a broad nationalist database would necessitate the information of instrumentality universities, which would beryllium champion placed to furnish records of bona fide instrumentality graduates.
“It appears to maine that if immoderate coordinated effort is to beryllium made successful this direction, you volition person to implead the instrumentality universities, truthful that they tin disclose details of each bona fide instrumentality graduates,” the Chief Justice said.
Appearing for the barroom body, advocator Prashant Kumar submitted that impleading each instrumentality universities astatine this signifier could hold the betterment process. He alternatively projected placing connected grounds a supplementary argumentation insubstantial outlining however the projected measures could beryllium implemented.
‘No nationalist nationalist record’
The petition pointed retired that portion determination are astir 1.8 cardinal enrolled advocates successful the country, determination is “no single, publically verifiable, real-time nationalist record” done which an advocate’s enrolment presumption and acquisition qualifications tin beryllium verified. It contended that advocator rolls are presently dispersed crossed 23 State Bar Councils and maintained without “uniform standards”, making it hard for litigants, courts and different authorities to promptly verify credentials.
The tribunal was besides informed that a BCI study published successful May estimated that astir 35% of those practising earlier courts whitethorn beryllium fake lawyers, portion astir 40% of advocates did not enactment successful its verification exercise.
To code this “regulatory vacuum”, the petition projected the instauration of a “National Digital Registry for the Legal Profession of India” (NDRLP), which would support a “Unique National Advocate Identifier” for each lawyer, on with details of enrolment status, verified acquisition qualifications, disciplinary past and a QR-code-enabled nationalist illustration that could beryllium accessed by litigants “within seconds”.
“The method exemplary is India’s ain Aadhaar strategy — demonstrably achievable astatine nationalist scale. The implementing bureau would beryllium the Bar Council of India on with different respondents. Governance of the NDRLP would stay broadly with the Bar Council of India, portion the Ministry of Law and Justice would service arsenic the backing and argumentation partner,” the plea stated.
‘Nasty comments’
On Thursday (June 18), Mr. Kumar besides drew the court’s attraction to the expanding instances of lawyers utilizing societal media successful a mode that amounts to solicitation, successful usurpation of the BCI Rules, arsenic good arsenic making nationalist comments that undermine assurance successful the medication of justice.
“The different contented concerns a integer codification of conduct. When laypersons marque comments, it is 1 thing. But erstwhile an advocator makes specified remarks, it lends them a definite legitimacy successful the eyes of the public. Some updating of the codification of behaviour is truthful required,” helium submitted.
The Chief Justice remarked that genuine members of the Bar are mostly mindful of nonrecreational morals and behaviour themselves responsibly, but acknowledged that “nasty comments” are often made by persons claiming to beryllium lawyers.
“Advocates are usually precise responsible. The archetypal happening they larn is nonrecreational ethics. They volition not indulge successful specified conduct. But nasty comments are made by radical who person thing to bash with law. They are each backdoor entrants,” helium said.
CJI Kant besides pointed retired that the remedy laic successful mentoring young ineligible professionals and helping them find their footing successful an progressively competitory profession.
“...The champion mode is to fortify the young members of the Bar and unafraid their spot successful the profession. Unless they are periodically trained, brought into the mainstream and fixed immoderate abstraction successful the overcrowded courts, the occupation volition continue,” helium said.
Observing that the views of stakeholders successful the ineligible fraternity would beryllium required earlier the substance could beryllium considered further, the Chief Justice directed that it beryllium listed for proceeding successful July.
‘Promotional reels’
The petition besides pointed retired that lawyers are progressively posting “promotional reels” showcasing tribunal appearances and nonrecreational engagements, lifestyle-oriented content, and “unverifiable claims of expertise and occurrence rates” connected societal media platforms. It contended that specified practices undermine a litigant’s quality to marque an “informed and uncoerced prime of counsel”.
“The mean litigant — with nary means of independently verifying an advocate’s existent credentials oregon standing, and with nary recourse nether the Consumer Protection Act, from which advocates are excluded — is induced to prosecute counsel connected the ground of fabricated oregon exaggerated integer profiles,” the petition added.
Such conduct, the barroom assemblage said, erodes the “solemnity of courts” and reduces judicial proceedings to fodder for amusement content. Accordingly, it has sought a absorption to the BCI to frame, wrong six months, a codification of behaviour for lawyers’ usage of societal media and integer platforms.
