Bar Council of India (BCI)

News: The Bar Council of India (BCI) has clarified that any Master of Laws (LL.M.) programme offered without its prior approval, will be considered unauthorised.

About Bar Council of India (BCI)

• It is a statutory body created by Parliament under the Advocates Act, 1961.
• Purpose: It was established to regulate and represent the Indian Bar.
• Functions: The following statutory functions under Section 7 cover the Bar Council’s regulatory and representative mandate:
  • To lay down standards of professional conduct and etiquette for advocates.
  • To lay down procedure to be followed by its disciplinary committee and the disciplinary committees of each State Bar Council.
  • To safeguard the rights, privileges and interests of advocates.
  • To promote and support law reform.
  • To promote legal education and to lay down standards of legal education.
  • To recognise Universities whose degree in law shall be a qualification for enrolment as an advocate.
  • The BCI visits and inspects Universities or directs the State Bar Councils to visit and inspect Universities for this purpose.
  • To organise legal aid to the poor.
  • To recognise the foreign qualifications in law obtained outside India for the purpose of admission as an advocate in India.
  • To manage and invest the funds of the Bar Council.
  • To provide for the election of its members who shall run the Bar Councils.
• Composition
  • It consists of members elected from each State Bar Council, the Attorney General of India, and the Solicitor General of India who is an ex-officio member.
  • The members from the State Bar Councils are elected for a period of five years.
  • The Council elects its own Chairman and Vice-Chairman for a period of two years from among its members.