Notify polls for Punjab, Haryana bar councils in 10 days: SC to BCI

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 led by Justice Surya Kant also asked the BCI – which regulates the legal profession in the country -- to hold elections for the Uttar Pradesh Bar Council by January 31, 2026 and address genuine grievances of electors.

The Bench issued the directions after it was pointed out that elections for Punjab and Haryana bar councils had not been notified and, in Uttar Pradesh, the voter list was not being uploaded on the website.

Senior advocate and BCI chairman Manan Kumar Mishra submitted that as per rules, a 180-day gap was needed between the notification and actual polling and that the apex bar body might face some difficulties in case of Punjab and Haryana bar council elections.

As Justice Kant said the BCI should form a committee headed by a retired high court judge to hold the bar council elections in different states, Mishra said a panel headed by a retired high court judge was already there.

The Bench said the BCI should appoint another panel headed by a retired high court judge for holding Punjab and Haryana bar council polls.

The Bench asked him to at least make an 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 said as per rules, the current body of BCI cannot continue beyond the tenure of seven years.

On September 24, the top court had 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 LL.B. certificates of lawyers cannot be a ground for postponing the elections.

The top court was hearing petitions seeking to quash 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.