The Bar Council of India has formally notified amendments to the Bar Council of India Uniform Rules and Mandatory Guidelines for Elections, 2016, in the Official Gazette, enabling office-bearers of Bar Associations to contest elections to State Bar Councils subject to certain conditions.
The notification follows approval granted by the Supreme Court of India in its order dated April 20, 2026, which held that the amended provisions adequately addressed concerns raised by elected office-bearers of Bar Associations.
The amendment comes in the backdrop of earlier directions issued by the Supreme Court in February 2026, wherein it had prima facie found no justification for rules that barred office-bearers of Bar Associations from contesting State Bar Council elections, terming such restriction as an “artificial distinction”.
Key Changes Introduced:
Under the amended Chapter III:
- Office-bearers of Bar Associations are now eligible to contest State Bar Council elections, provided they file an undertaking at the time of nomination;
- Candidates must undertake that they will not hold dual representative posts simultaneously;
- Upon being elected, they must choose between the two positions within 15 days;
- Failure to exercise such option within the stipulated time would result in automatic vacation of the State Bar Council membership.