Bar councils have no power to punish law students, rules Supreme Court

The Supreme Court on Thursday held that the Bar Council of India and state bar councils do not have the statutory power to take disciplinary or punitive action against law students, Live Law reported.

The bar councils get disciplinary powers over law students only after they enrol as advocates, the court said.

It also held that the directions issued by Bar Council of India chairperson Manan Kumar Mishra on August 13 with respect to the graduating batch of students at the National Academy of Legal Studies and Research were unlawful, Live Law reported.

Mishra had directed state bar councils to defer the enrolment of the graduating batch as advocates after the students campaigned against inviting Chief Justice Surya Kant to their convocation over his remarks on police action against youth protesters. The Bar Council of India’s order had also sought an inquiry against the students and faculty members. The council, however, withdrew the directive hours later.

A day after the directive was issued, the Supreme Court had passed an interim order protecting NALSAR students and faculty members from punitive action by the Bar Council of India or any state bar council. Kant had described the bar council’s order as “absolutely uncalled for”.

On Thursday, a bench headed by Kant disposed of the petition and made the interim...

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