Bar Council of Kerala

Last updated
Bar Council of Kerala
Statutory body overview
Formed1961;62 years ago (1961)
HeadquartersHigh Ct Rd, Kochi, Kerala
Statutory body executive
  • K.N. Anil Kumar [1] , Chairman
Website http://www.barcouncilkerala.org/

Bar Council of Kerala is the regulatory and statutorily representative body for lawyers practicing law in the state of Kerala. It was constituted as per the mandatory requirement as per Advocates Act, 1961 and Bar Council of India. In March 1953, S. R. Das as head of the 'All India Bar Committee', proposed the creation of the apex body as an All-India Bar Council and Bar council at state levels and submitted a report to the Central Government of India. Members of the Bar Council are elected from among members enrolled and practicing as lawyers practicing law in the state of Kerala and they represent the state in Bar Council of India meetings. Bar Council of a place designs standards of professional conduct to be followed by members, and designs etiquettes and has the power to enforce disciplinary guidelines over the members of bar council.

Contents

History

The Kerala Bar Council was formed as per the requirement of Section 3 of Advocates Act, 1961 which mandates for each state of India to have its Bar Council. As per the guidelines, the legal profession in India and the standards of legal education would be regulated by the All India Bar Council. The Law Commission of India was suggested to prepare a report on judicial administration reforms in India.

In July 2021, the state Bar Council along with Bar Councils of other Southern states of India had requested the Vice-president Mr Venkaiah Naidu and Supreme Court Chief Justice Hon. N. V. Ramana for the setting up of separate bench for Southern India. [2] [3]

Functions

Section 7 of the Advocates Act, 1961 lays down the regulatory and representative requirements which are mandatory for State Bar Councils. Bar Councils of each place has following functions: [4]

  1. Facilitating the election with rules for members to get elected and manage the Bar Council.
  2. Designing the professional behaviours and code to be followed by advocates who are its members.
  3. Lay down guidelines for disciplinary committees and other committees formed by it.
  4. Supporting with financial aid in case of need. [5] [6] [7]
  5. Designing, promoting and supporting law reform as per changing circumstances. [8]
  6. Handle and resolve other issues or any matter placed before it by its members in ad hoc situations.
  7. Design and organise seminars on wide legal topics in the interest of members by reputed jurists and publishing them in journals and magazines of legal circles and other sources of media.
  8. Facilitating legal aid to those who can't afford it.
  9. Ensuring that guidelines laid in various legal forums are followed by members.
  10. Initiating disciplinary action in case of professional misconduct. [9]
  11. Designing welfare schemes like Insurance for its members.
  12. Supporting members with emergency services during natural calamities.
  13. Initiate disciplinary action in case the official premises is used for other than professional purpose.
  14. Fixing Annual Fee for members for enrolling in Council which includes fees for enrollment and funds towards identity card, building, library, indigent and other welfare schemes.
  15. Organising regular meeting with local associations enrolled with council.
  16. Enrolling various bar associations in the state as its associate members.
  17. Resolving disputes between members within timeframe.
  18. Initiating disciplinary action against members for complying to its policies. [10]
  19. Enrolling newly qualified lawyers into council. [11] [12]

Constitution

The council elects its own chairman and vice-chairman for a period of two years from amongst its members. Assisted by the various committees of the council, the chairman acts as the chief executive and director of the council. Voting rights in elections are available only for advocates having a Certificate of Practice. As per the Advocates Act, the bar council of the state should have 25 members in case the members on roll exceeds 10000.

Mr. Ajay Kochar was elected as Chairman of Kerala Bar Council in the year 2021.

Enrollment of advocates

Graduates having a law degree from recognised universities permitted to impart legal education are admitted as advocates in The Kerala Bar Council. [13] Law graduates can enroll online for Kerala Bar Council. [14] [11] State bar councils are empowered by Advocates Act, 1961 to frame rules according to their convenience for enrolling advocates in council. The enrollment committee formed by Councils will scrutinise a prospective member's application. Enrolled advocates of any bar council in state are considered as eligible to write the All India Bar Examination conducted by the Bar Council of India. After clearing the exam, they are certified by the Bar Council of India and issued 'Certificate of Enrolment', which facilitates them to practice the profession of law in any High Court based in India and lower courts of the country, as an advocate. Advocates are required to qualify in the exam known as "Supreme Court Advocate on Record Examination" which is conducted by the Supreme Court exclusively to practice in the Supreme Court of Country.

Past Chairmen

Below are the past Chairmen of the Kerala Bar Council:

IndexNameHolding charge fromHolding charge to
1K.K Mathew02.12.1961 02.06.1962 
2V.P. Gopalan Nambiar01.01.196327.03.1965
3T.S. Krishna Moorthy28.03.196529.10.1965
4Dr. V.A. Sail Mohammad30.10.1965 08.09.1967
5P.Subramanian Potti09.09.196718.07.1969 
6M.M. Abdul Khader19.07.196908.06.1979
7C.K. Sivasankara Panicker09.06.197920.02.1980
8K. Sudhakaran21.02.198007.01.1982
9V. Bhaskaran Nambiar08.01.198209.09.1983
10M.K. Vasudeva Kurup10.09.198331.05.1986
11M.M. Abdul Aziz01.06.198630.03.1990
12K.M.C. Kurup31.03.199001.03.1992
13M.M. Abdul Aziz01.03.199218.09.1993
14M.K. Vasudeva Kurup19.09.199317.02.1996
15K.M.C. Kurup18.02.199615.06.1997
16Thomas Mathew15.06.199728.02.1999
17S. Gopakumaran Nair28.02.199903.04.1999
18M.K. Damodaran03.04.199904.06.2000
19S. Gopakumaran Nair04.06.200012.04.2003
20Vinod Singh Cherian (Acting)12.04.200329.06.2003
21K.B. Mohandas29.06.200326.11.2005
22P.G. Thampi27.11.200519.10.2008
23Vinod Singh Cherian19.10.200829.08.2010
24K. Jayarajan29.08.201010.05.2011
25Sreedharan Nair C11.05.201113.04.2014
26T.H Abdul Azeez13.04.201415.02.2015
27Joseph John15.02.201528.08.2016
28E Shanavas Khan from 28 to 08–2016 to 10-10-201628.08.201610.10.2016
29C.P Sudharakara Prasad11.10.2016

Important Actions

1. In 2020, Bar Council of Kerala for the first time organised on-line enrollment procedure for newly passed out lawyers in which around 810 members participated through video conferencing which was web-based. [11]

See also

Related Research Articles

A bar association is a professional association of lawyers as generally organized in countries following the Anglo-American types of jurisprudence. The word bar is derived from the old English/European custom of using a physical railing to separate the area in which court business is done from the viewing area for the general public.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bar Council of India</span> Regulating body of lawyers in India

Bar Council of India (BCI) is a statutory body established under section 4 of the Advocates Act 1961 that regulates the legal practice and legal education in India. Its members are elected from amongst the lawyers in India and represent the Indian bar. It prescribes standards of professional conduct, etiquettes and exercises disciplinary jurisdiction over the bar. It also sets standards for legal education and grants recognition to universities whose law degrees will qualify students to enrol themselves as advocates upon graduation.

Bar Council of Andhra Pradesh is the regulatory and statutorily representative body for lawyers practicing law in the state of Andhra Pradesh. It was constituted as per the mandatory requirement as per Advocates Act, 1961 and Bar Council of India. In March 1953, the 'All India Bar Committee', headed by S. R. Das, submitted a report which proposed the creation of a bar council for each state and an all-India bar council as an apex body. Members of the Bar Council are elected from among members enrolled and practicing as lawyers in the state of Andhra Pradesh and they represent the state in Bar Council of India meetings. Bar Council of a place designs standards of professional conduct to be followed by members, and designs etiquettes and has the power to enforce disciplinary guidelines over the members of bar council.

Bar Council of Telangana is the regulatory and statutorily representative body for lawyers practicing law in Telangana state. It was constituted as per the mandatory requirement as per Advocates Act, 1961 and Bar Council of India. In March 1953, the 'All India Bar Committee', headed by S. R. Das, submitted a report which proposed bar council creation for each state and an all-India bar council as an apex body. Members of Bar Council are elected from among members enrolled and practicing as lawyers in the state of Telangana and they represent the state in Bar Council of India meetings. Bar Council of a place designs standards of professional conduct to be followed by members, and designs etiquettes and has power to enforce disciplinary guidelines over the members of bar council.

Bar Council of Delhi is the regulatory and statutorily representative body for lawyers practising law in the Union Territory of Delhi. It was constituted as per the mandatory requirement as per Advocates Act, 1961 and Bar Council of India. In March 1953, the 'All India Bar Committee', headed by Pawan Sharma, submitted a report which proposed the creation of a bar council for each state and an all-India bar council as an apex body. Members of Bar Council are elected from among members enrolled and practicing as lawyers in Delhi and they represent the state in Bar Council of India meetings. Bar Council of a place designs standards of professional conduct to be followed by members, and designs etiquettes and has power to enforce disciplinary guidelines over the members of bar council.

Bar Council of Karnataka is the regulatory and statutorily representative body for lawyers practicing law in the state of Karnataka. It was constituted as per the mandatory requirement as per Advocates Act, 1961 and Bar Council of India. In March 1953, the 'All India Bar Committee', headed by S. R. Das, submitted a report which proposed the creation of a bar council for each state and an all-India bar council as an apex body. Members of the Bar Council are elected from among members enrolled and practicing as lawyers in Karnataka and they represent the state in Bar Council of India meetings. Bar Council of a place designs standards of professional conduct to be followed by members, and designs etiquettes and has the power to enforce disciplinary guidelines over the members of bar council.

The Madras Bar Council or Bar Council of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry is the regulatory and statutorily representative body for lawyers practicing law in the state of Tamilnadu and Union Territory of Puducherry. It was constituted as per the mandatory requirement as per Advocates Act, 1961 and Bar Council of India. In March 1953, S. R. Das as head of the 'All India Bar Committee', proposed the creation of the apex body as an All-India Bar Council and a Bar council at state levels and submitted a report to the Central Government of India. Members of Bar Council are elected from among members enrolled and practicing as lawyers practicing law in the state of Tamilnadu and Union Territory of Puducherry and they represent the state in Bar Council of India meetings. Bar Council of a place designs standards of professional conduct to be followed by members, and designs etiquettes and has the power to enforce disciplinary guidelines over the members of bar council.

Himachal Pradesh Bar Council is the regulatory and statutorily representative body for lawyers practicing law in the state of Himachal Pradesh. It was constituted as per the mandatory requirement as per Advocates Act, 1961 and Bar Council of India. In March 1953, S. R. Das as head of the 'All India Bar Committee', proposed the creation of the apex body as an All-India Bar Council and Bar council at state levels and submitted a report to the Central Government of India. Members of the Bar Council are elected from among members enrolled and practicing as lawyers practicing law in the state of Himachal Pradesh and they represent the state in Bar Council of India meetings. Bar Council of a place designs standards of professional conduct to be followed by members, and designs etiquettes and has the power to enforce disciplinary guidelines over the members of bar council.

Bar Council of Bihar is the regulatory and statutorily representative body for lawyers practicing law in the state of Bihar. It was constituted as per the mandatory requirement as per Advocates Act, 1961 and Bar Council of India. In March 1953, S. R. Das as head of the 'All India Bar Committee', proposed the creation of the apex body as an All-India Bar Council and Bar council at state levels and submitted a report to the Central Government of India. Members of the Bar Council are elected from among members enrolled and practicing as lawyers practicing law in the state of Bihar and they represent the state in Bar Council of India meetings. Bar Council of a place designs standards of professional conduct to be followed by members, and designs etiquettes and has the power to enforce disciplinary guidelines over the members of bar council.

Bar Council of Gujarat is the regulatory and statutorily representative body for lawyers practicing law in the state of Gujarat. It was constituted as per the mandatory requirement as per Advocates Act, 1961 and Bar Council of India. In March 1953, S. R. Das as head of the 'All India Bar Committee', proposed the creation of the apex body as an All-India Bar Council and Bar council at state levels and submitted a report to the Central Government of India. Members of the Bar Council are elected from among members enrolled and practicing as lawyers practicing law in the state of Gujarat and they represent the state in Bar Council of India meetings. Bar Council of a place designs standards of professional conduct to be followed by members, and designs etiquettes and has the power to enforce disciplinary guidelines over the members of bar council.

Bar Council of Maharashtra and Goa is the regulatory and statutorily representative body for lawyers practicing law in the states of Maharashtra and Goa, and the union territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu. It was constituted as per the mandatory requirement as per Advocates Act, 1961 and Bar Council of India. In March 1953, S. R. Das as head of the 'All India Bar Committee', proposed the creation of the apex body as an All-India Bar Council and Bar council at state levels and submitted a report to the Central Government of India. Members of the Bar Council are elected from among members enrolled and practicing as lawyers practicing law in the states of Maharashtra and Goa, and the union territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, and they represent the state in Bar Council of India meetings. Bar Council of a place designs standards of professional conduct to be followed by members, and designs etiquettes and has the power to enforce disciplinary guidelines over the members of bar council.

Bar Council of Assam, Nagaland, Meghalaya, Manipur, Tripura, Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim is the regulatory and statutorily representative body for lawyers practicing law in the states of Assam, Nagaland, Meghalaya, Manipur, Tripura, Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim. It was constituted as per the mandatory requirement as per Advocates Act, 1961 and Bar Council of India. In March 1953, S. R. Das as head of the 'All India Bar Committee', proposed the creation of the apex body as an All-India Bar Council and Bar council at state levels and submitted a report to the Central Government of India. Members of the Bar Council are elected from among members enrolled and practicing as lawyers practicing law in the states of Assam, Nagaland, Meghalaya, Manipur, Tripura, Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim and they represent the state in Bar Council of India meetings. Bar Council of a place designs standards of professional conduct to be followed by members, and designs etiquettes and has the power to enforce disciplinary guidelines over the members of bar council.

Bar Council of Madhya Pradesh is the regulatory and statutorily representative body for lawyers practicing law in the state of Madhya Pradesh. It was constituted as per the mandatory requirement as per Advocates Act, 1961 and Bar Council of India. In March 1953, S. R. Das as head of the 'All India Bar Committee', proposed the creation of the apex body as an All-India Bar Council and Bar council at state levels and submitted a report to the Central Government of India. Members of the Bar Council are elected from among members enrolled and practicing as lawyers practicing law in the state of Madhya Pradesh and they represent the state in Bar Council of India meetings. Bar Council of a place designs standards of professional conduct to be followed by members, and designs etiquettes and has the power to enforce disciplinary guidelines over the members of bar council.

Bar Council of Orissa is the regulatory and statutorily representative body for lawyers practicing law in the state of Orissa. It was constituted as per the mandatory requirement as per Advocates Act, 1961 and Bar Council of India. In March 1953, S. R. Das as head of the 'All India Bar Committee', proposed the creation of the apex body as an All-India Bar Council and Bar council at state levels and submitted a report to the Central Government of India. Members of the Bar Council are elected from among members enrolled and practicing as lawyers practicing law in the state of Orissa and they represent the state in Bar Council of India meetings. Bar Council of a place designs standards of professional conduct to be followed by members, and designs etiquettes and has the power to enforce disciplinary guidelines over the members of bar council.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bar Council of Punjab and Haryana</span> Legal organisation in India

Bar Council of Punjab and Haryana is the state regulatory and statutory representative body for lawyers practicing law in the three states of Punjab and Haryana and Union Territory of Chandigarh. It was constituted as per the mandatory requirement of Advocates Act, 1961 and Bar Council of India. In March 1953, the 'All India Bar Committee', headed by S. R. Das, submitted a report which proposed the creation of a Bar Council for each state and an All-India Bar Council as an apex body. Members of the Bar Council are elected from amongst members enrolled and practicing as lawyers in Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh, and they represent the state in Bar Council of India meetings. Bar Council enforces standards of professional conduct to be followed by member advocates, and designs etiquettes and has the power to enforce disciplinary guidelines over the members of Bar.

Bar Council of Rajasthan is the regulatory and statutorily representative body for lawyers practicing law in the state of Rajasthan. It was constituted as per the mandatory requirement as per Advocates Act, 1961 and Bar Council of India. In March 1953, S. R. Das as head of the 'All India Bar Committee', proposed the creation of the apex body as an All-India Bar Council and Bar council at state levels and submitted a report to the Central Government of India. Members of the Bar Council are elected from among members enrolled and practicing as lawyers practicing law in the state of Rajasthan and they represent the state in Bar Council of India meetings. Bar Council of a place designs standards of professional conduct to be followed by members, and designs etiquettes and has the power to enforce disciplinary guidelines over the members of bar council.

Bar Council of Uttar Pradesh is the regulatory and statutorily representative body for lawyers practicing law in the state of Uttar Pradesh. It was constituted as per the mandatory requirement as per Advocates Act, 1961 and Bar Council of India. In March 1953, S. R. Das as head of the 'All India Bar Committee', proposed the creation of the apex body as an All-India Bar Council and Bar council at state levels and submitted a report to the Central Government of India. Members of the Bar Council are elected from among members enrolled and practicing as lawyers practicing law in the state of Uttar Pradesh and they represent the state in Bar Council of India meetings. Bar Council of a place designs standards of professional conduct to be followed by members, and designs etiquettes and has the power to enforce disciplinary guidelines over the members of bar council.

Bar Council of West Bengal is the regulatory and statutorily representative body for lawyers practicing law in the state of West Bengal. It was constituted as per the mandatory requirement as per Advocates Act, 1961 and Bar Council of India. In March 1953, S. R. Das as head of the 'All India Bar Committee', proposed the creation of the apex body as an All-India Bar Council and Bar council at state levels and submitted a report to the Central Government of India. Members of the Bar Council are elected from among members enrolled and practicing as lawyers practicing law in the state of West Bengal and they represent the state in Bar Council of India meetings. Bar Council of a place designs standards of professional conduct to be followed by members, and designs etiquettes and has the power to enforce disciplinary guidelines over the members of bar council.

Bar Council of Jharkhand is the regulatory and statutorily representative body for lawyers practicing law in the state of Jharkhand. It was constituted as per the mandatory requirement as per Advocates Act, 1961 and Bar Council of India. In March 1953, S. R. Das as head of the 'All India Bar Committee', proposed the creation of the apex body as an All-India Bar Council and Bar council at state levels and submitted a report to the Central Government of India. Members of the Bar Council are elected from among members enrolled and practicing as lawyers practicing law in the state of Jharkhand and they represent the state in Bar Council of India meetings. Bar Council of a place designs standards of professional conduct to be followed by members, and designs etiquettes and has the power to enforce disciplinary guidelines over the members of bar council.

Bar Council of Uttarakhand is the regulatory and statutorily representative body for lawyers practicing law in the state of Uttarakhand. It was constituted as per the mandatory requirement as per Advocates Act, 1961 and Bar Council of India. In March 1953, S. R. Das as head of the 'All India Bar Committee', proposed the creation of the apex body as an All India Bar Council and Bar council at state levels and submitted a report to the Union Government of India. Members of the Bar Council are elected from among members enrolled and practicing as lawyers practicing law in the state of Uttarakhand and they represent the state in Bar Council of India meetings. Bar Council of a place designs standards of professional conduct to be followed by members, and designs etiquettes and has the power to enforce disciplinary guidelines over the members of bar council.

References

  1. ↑ "Home : Bar Council of Kerala >> The Bar Council of Kerala is the professional body for Lawyers in Kerala". www.barcouncilkerala.org. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
  2. ↑ "Plea to set up SC bench in south". The Hindu. 26 July 2021. Retrieved 3 September 2021.
  3. ↑ Mutha, Sagar Kumar (25 January 2021). "Bar councils of five states call for an SC bench in south India". The Times of India. Retrieved 3 September 2021.
  4. ↑ "Welcome to Bar Council of India" . Retrieved 24 September 2021.
  5. ↑ Varghese, Hannah M. (28 June 2021). "'Total Restriction On Lawyers' Free Speech': Plea In Kerala HC Challenges New Bar Council Rules Which Make Criticism Of Its Decisions Ground For Disqualification". www.livelaw.in. Retrieved 25 November 2021.
  6. ↑ Pratap, Giti (28 June 2021). "Kerala Bar Council member moves Kerala High Court challenging new BCI rules for violating right to free speech and expression of lawyers". Bar and Bench. Retrieved 25 November 2021.
  7. ↑ Thomas, Lydia Suzanne (2 October 2020). "Bar Council of Kerala decides to boycott upcoming e-Lok Adalat organised by Kerala Legal Services Authority [Read Letter]". Bar and Bench. Retrieved 25 November 2021.
  8. ↑ "Bar Council of Kerala, Kerala High Court Advocates Association oppose Electronic Filing Rules; to refrain from e-filing tomorrow". Bar and Bench. 16 May 2021. Retrieved 25 November 2021.
  9. ↑ Emmanuel, Meera (15 March 2018). "Petition in Kerala HC alleges gross misappropriation of funds by Bar Council of Kerala". Bar and Bench. Retrieved 25 November 2021.
  10. ↑ "Kerala Bar Council to act against lawyer over FB post against cop Anie Siva". The News Minute. 18 July 2021. Retrieved 26 September 2021.
  11. 1 2 3 "Bar Council of Kerala organises first-ever online enrolment". The New Indian Express. 28 June 2020. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
  12. ↑ Emmanuel, Meera (18 May 2020). "Should enrolments be conducted via video conferencing amid COVID-19 Lockdown? Kerala HC seeks Kerala Bar Council's response". Bar and Bench. Retrieved 25 November 2021.
  13. ↑ "Any procedure in place for online enrollment of law grads, Delhi HC asks Bar Council of Delhi". Hindustan Times. 4 December 2020. Retrieved 3 September 2021.
  14. ↑ "First Online Enrolment Ceremony: Kerala Bar Council to conduct Ceremony on June 27 [Read Notification]". Bar and Bench. 14 June 2020. Retrieved 25 November 2021.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.