Supreme Court to BCI: Notify polls for Punjab, Haryana bar councils to be conducted by December 31

The Supreme Court on Friday directed the Bar Council of India to notify elections for Punjab and Haryana bar councils in 10 days and hold the polls by December 31.

A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi also directed apex bar body Bar Council of India (BCI) to hold elections for the Uttar Pradesh Bar Council by January 31, 2026, and address the genuine and bona fide grievances of electors.

The top court passed the directions after it was pointed out that elections for Punjab and Haryana bar councils have not been notified and in Uttar Pradesh, the voter list is not being uploaded on the website.

Senior advocate Manan Kumar Mishra, who is also chairman of the Bar Council of India, submitted that as per rules, 180 days need to be there between the holding of election and its notification and they may face some difficulties in case of Punjab and Haryana.

Justice Kant asked Mishra to form a committee headed by retired high court judge to hold the bar council elections for different states.

Mishra submitted that it had been done and a panel was in place headed by a retired high court judge.

The top court asked him for holding polls in Punjab and Haryana bar councils, the BCI should appoint another panel headed by a retired high court judge.

The bench asked him to at least make the endeavour to hold the elections by December 31, and in case of any difficulty, it can be looked into.

"The bar council elections were not held for quite some time but now the Bar Council of India has agreed to hold the elections. Let's cooperate with it and strengthen the democratic institution. We need to trust our democratic institutions in holding fair elections," the bench told advocate Pradeep Yadav, who complained that the Uttar Pradesh bar council voter list has not been uploaded on the website.

Senior advocate Narender Hooda submitted that as per rules, the current body of Bar Council of India cannot continue beyond the tenure of seven years.

On September 24, the top court said elections in state bar councils have to be held by January 31, 2026, keeping in mind the long pendency.

It had said verification drives for LLB certificates of lawyers cannot be a ground for postponing the elections.

The top court was hearing a batch of pleas seeking to quash the Rule 32 of the Bar Council of India Certificate and Place of Practice (Verification) Rules, 2015, which empowers BCI to extend the term of State Bar Council members beyond the statutory limits prescribed under the Advocates Act, 1961.