Bar council notices to 16 lawyers over ‘bench hunting’ challenged

The Bar Council of India has directed the secretary of the Bar Council of Punjab and Haryana (BCPH) to send original records pertaining to the alleged “bench hunting” case and issued notices for August 18.

The BCI has sought the records on revision and stay petitions filed by some advocates of the Punjab and Haryana High Court who have received notices.

The advocates, through the revision petition, challenged the order passed by the privilege committee of the Bar Council of Punjab and Haryana putting 16 lawyers on notice.

The committee, chaired by Raj Kumar Chauhan, in an order dated August 7, 2025, had directed the advocates to appear in person or through counsel on August 16 with their replies.

The notices have been issued to senior advocates Rakesh Nehra, Puneet Bali, besides advocates JK Singla, Sidharth Bhardwaj, Aditya Aggarwal, Gagandeep Singh, Anmol Chandan, Baljeet Beniwal, Harsh Sharma, Sauhard Singh, Rupender Singh, Ankit Yadav, Ashim Singla, Aakash Sharma, Bindu and APS Shergil.

The move follows observations made by the Punjab and Haryana High Court in the Roop Bansal vs State of Haryana case, where Chief Justice Sheel Nagu, in the open court, flagged concerns over “bench shopping” and warned that such conduct was “destroying the Bar”.

On August 4, Rakesh Gupta, Chairman of Bar Council of Punjab and Haryana, had ordered an inquiry into the alleged case of bench hunting.

It was alleged that some advocates of the HC were resorting to bench hunting to secure favourable orders.

Gupta ordered that tje inquiry be conducted by the committee of the Bar Council immediately on day-to-day hearing basis. Gupta said some of the members of Bar Council had pointed out to him that some advocates of the Punjab and Haryana High Court in order to get favourable orders from a particular bench or to avoid appearing before that Bench are resorting to “bench hunting”. This is a serious misuse of the privileges granted to advocates under the Advocates Act. At the same time, it is a responsibility of the Bar Council to maintain dignity, status and reputation of the legal profession.

In case the Bar Council does not check any such step, it will further deteriorate the judicial system and the reputation of the legal profession and at the same time the lawyers’ community will feel frustrated.