New Delhi, Jan 31: The Supreme Court has issued notices to the Centre, the Bar Council of India (BCI), and other relevant authorities on a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) calling for the establishment of a Bar Council in Jammu & Kashmir.
A bench led by Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta took note of the arguments presented by senior advocate Javid Shaikh, representing the Kashmir Advocates Association, and directed notices to the Centre, BCI, and the Registrar General of the High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh.
Bar councils are statutory bodies responsible for regulating the enrollment of law graduates and overseeing the practice of law within a state.
Advocate Shaikh, supported by his colleague Adil Muneer Andrabi, emphasized the need for a dedicated Bar Council in the region and requested interim relief, particularly concerning the government’s issuance of welfare stamps typically managed by a Bar Council. He highlighted that, in the absence of such a council, the high court was currently undertaking these responsibilities.
The bench stated that no interim order could be passed at this stage, noting, “Whatever system is there so far will continue. Is the high court a party? Let the notice go, and let them come.”
The case has been adjourned for further hearing in four weeks.
