Supreme Court rules that BCI has no power to punish law students - thehindu.com

**Supreme Court Declares Bar Council of India Lacks Authority to Punish Law Students**

*New Delhi, September 3 2026* – In a landmark judgment delivered by a five‑judge bench, the Supreme Court has held that the Bar Council of India (BCI) “has no statutory power to regulate the conduct of law students,” effectively striking down a series of punitive orders that the regulator had issued against a cohort of NALSAR University of Law students. The dispute began when the BCI, invoking its mandate under the Advocates Act, 1961, attempted to impose disciplinary action on students who had allegedly engaged in conduct deemed unbecoming of future members of the Bar. The students, represented by senior counsel, challenged the orders on the ground that the Act confers regulatory authority only over enrolled advocates, not over individuals still in academic training.

The apex court, after examining the language of the Advocates Act and the Bar Council of India Rules, concluded that the legislature never intended the BCI to function as a disciplinary body for students. The bench observed that the Act expressly empowers the Council to “regulate the legal profession” and “maintain standards of professional conduct” **among advocates**, but is silent on any jurisdiction over those who have not yet been called to the Bar. Consequently, the Court quashed the BCI’s orders, directing the regulator to refrain from imposing any punitive measures on law students until the Parliament amends the statute to expressly grant such powers.

Legal scholars and student bodies welcomed the verdict as a reinforcement of constitutional safeguards and academic freedom. The National Law Students’ Forum issued a statement calling the ruling “a victory for due‑process and the principle that regulatory overreach must be checked by the judiciary.” Meanwhile, the BCI has signalled its intention to appeal the decision and urged Parliament to consider legislative clarification. The judgment is poised to reshape the regulatory landscape of legal education in India, compelling the Council to focus its oversight strictly on practising lawyers while leaving student discipline to universities and internal disciplinary committees.