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Informist, Friday, Aug. 14, 2026

 

NEW DELHI – The Chief Justice of India Surya Kant Friday said that the Bar Council of India's circular on barring 2026 graduates of NALSAR University of Law, Hyderabad, from enrolment with state bar councils was uncalled for and the lawyers' body does not have any business to do so. "Naturally this is absolutely uncalled for. It's a dialogue between students and me. Who are they to raise an issue? This is totally uncalled for," said Chief Justice Kant. The bar council's action was based upon students opposing Chief Justice Kant's proposed participation in the university's upcoming convocation. 

 

"In my student days I have been actively involved in student activities. Assuming even if they are wrong, they have a right to protest. BCI (Bar Council of India) doesn't have any business," said Chief Justice Kant. The top court issued notice to the Bar Council of India on a petition challenging its action against students. Meanwhile no punitive action shall be taken against students or faculty of any national law university or law university, said the apex court. "Even in young days somebody makes a wrong statement that doesn't mean they don't have the right to protest. Please tell all the students to get enrolled, join the Supreme Court bar, we will empanel them for legal aid courses," said Chief Justice Kant. 

 

To be sure, hours after issuing that circular, the Bar Council of India withdrew the directive, saying that "vast majority of the students of NALSAR those graduating in 2026 are innocent and they were not inclined to take part in the move of disrespect". It added that "a handful of teachers and outsiders were instrumental in instigating the innocent students" and accordingly modified the earlier order allowing all students to get enrolled with the Bar Council of their choice. The lawyers' body said it would await the inquiry report from the vice-chancellor of university before taking any further action. It also said that "no student shall be made to suffer without any fault on his part". 

 

A campaign was started by around 450 out of the university's 1,400 students against inviting Chief Justice Kant to the convocation. The protest follows oral remarks made by him last month while hearing a petition alleging police excesses during the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test protests in Delhi, where he reportedly remarked, "Please don't waste our time. We don't have time to watch these videos."  End 

 

Reported by Surya Tripathi

Edited by Akul Nishant Akhoury

 

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