SC orders oversight by AG, SG in BCI policy decisions ahead of polls
The Supreme Court of India has ordered the Bar Council of India to consult with the Attorney General and Solicitor General before making policy decisions. This follows allegations of financial mismanagement and institutional overreach by the current leadership.
Why it matters
The ruling aims to ensure institutional integrity and transparency within the primary regulatory body for Indian lawyers.
The Supreme Court on Wednesday (September 2, 2026) directed the Bar Council of India (BCI) under its “pro-tem” chairperson Manan Kumar Mishra to consult the country’s top law officers, the Attorney General and the Solicitor General, before taking any policy decisions ahead of elections to the apex lawyers’ body.
The hearing before a three-judge Bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant saw petitioners, including young lawyers, raise allegations, including the formation of the BCI Pearl First Trust in 2020 in which Mr. Mishra and other BCI office-bearers are “permanent managing trustees”; a tie-up between the Trust and the Goa government to set up a university on 56 acres of land in the State; “jolting” expenditures on felicitations “running into crores”; and an extension of the tenure of BCI chairperson/vice-chairperson to five years.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in