New Delhi/Chandigarh, October 31 — The Supreme Court on Friday directed the Bar Council of India (BCI) to notify elections for the Punjab and Haryana Bar Councils within 10 days and complete the polls by December 31, 2025.
A Bench led by Justice Surya Kant also instructed the apex bar body to conduct elections for the Uttar Pradesh Bar Council by January 31, 2026, and ensure that genuine grievances of electors are duly addressed.
The directions came after the court was informed that elections for the Punjab and Haryana Bar Councils had not been notified, while the voter list for the Uttar Pradesh Bar Council was yet to be uploaded online.
BCI chairman and senior advocate Manan Kumar Mishra submitted that under existing rules, a 180-day gap was required between election notification and polling, adding that the council may face some logistical challenges in conducting the Punjab and Haryana elections.
Justice Kant suggested that the BCI form a committee headed by a retired high court judge to oversee bar council elections across states. Mishra informed the court that such a panel already existed, upon which the Bench directed the formation of another panel—also headed by a retired high court judge—specifically for the Punjab and Haryana Bar Council polls.
“The Bar Council elections were not held for quite some time, but now the Bar Council of India has agreed to hold them. Let’s cooperate with it and strengthen the democratic institution. We need to trust our democratic institutions in holding fair elections,” the Bench observed, addressing advocate Pradeep Yadav, who had raised concerns about the Uttar Pradesh voter list not being made public.
Senior advocate Narender Hooda pointed out that the current BCI body could not continue beyond its seven-year tenure as per rules.
Earlier, on September 24, the top court had directed that all state bar council elections be held by January 31, 2026, noting that the verification of LL.B. certificates could not be used as a reason to delay the process.
The court was hearing petitions challenging Rule 32 of the Bar Council of India Certificate and Place of Practice (Verification) Rules, 2015, which empowers the BCI to extend the tenure of state bar council members beyond the limits prescribed under the Advocates Act, 1961.
