New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday took a strong view of a Bar Council of India (BCI) circular directing state bar councils not to enrol graduates from the 2026 batch of NALSAR University of Law as advocates.
A bench headed by Chief Justice Surya Kant, along with Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V. Mohana, said students have a right to protest and questioned the BCI’s intervention in the matter.
“They have a right to protest. Who can stop them?” the Chief Justice observed.
The bench further said the issue was essentially a matter of dialogue between the students and the concerned authorities, questioning the BCI’s role in the dispute.
“This is a dialogue between me and the students. Who are they (BCI) to intervene?” the Chief Justice said.
The observations came after a petition challenging the BCI circular was mentioned before the Supreme Court seeking its urgent listing.
The BCI circular had directed bar councils across the states not to enrol any graduate from NALSAR University of Law’s 2026 batch as an advocate, prompting the legal challenge.
