Kerala High Court directs Bar Council to publish list of 1,157 advocates without valid practice certificates

The Kerala High Court has directed the Bar Council of Kerala to publish a list of 1,157 advocates who are reportedly practising in Keralam without clearing the All India Bar Examination and obtaining a valid Certificate of Practice.

A Division Bench of Chief Justice Soumen Sen and Justice V.M. Syam Kumar directed the High Court administration not to register any Vakalatnama in respect of these advocates. If a Vakalatnama is registered, an endorsement of the advocate’s exact qualification status should be included in the file to inform the presiding officer or the judge considering the matter.

The district judiciary was also asked to make endorsements on file for advocates on the list. If an advocate produces an authentic Certificate of Practice in the meantime, the advocate’s name would be deleted from the list on the Bar Council’s website.