Now Reading: CJI rebukes BCI over NALSAR order, says students have right to protest
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CJI rebukes BCI over NALSAR order, says students have right to protest
Chief Justice of India Surya Kant on Friday strongly disapproved of the Bar Council of India's decision to bar enrolment of NALSAR University of Law's 2026 graduates. He said students have the…
The Story in Brief
Chief Justice of India Surya Kant on Friday strongly disapproved of the Bar Council of India's decision to bar enrolment of NALSAR University of Law's 2026 graduates. He said students have the right to peacefully protest and called the BCI's action 'totally uncalled for'. The CJI noted that the students had written to him directly and that the matter was a dialogue between them and the Chief Justice.
The Supreme Court bench, also comprising Justice Joymalya Bagchi, issued an interim order directing that no punitive action be taken against any law student or faculty by the BCI or state bar councils over the incident. BCI Chairman Manan Mishra had initially ordered state councils to block enrolment of NALSAR's 2026 batch after some students opposed inviting the CJI as chief guest for the convocation. The order was withdrawn within hours, but a demand for an inquiry report from the university remained.
The Indian Opinion
The BCI chairman's rapid reversal shows he knew the original order was indefensible. Yet the demand for an inquiry into 'teachers and outsiders' remains, suggesting the BCI still wants a scapegoat. The CJI has now made it clear: student protest is a dialogue with the judiciary, not the BCI. The test now is whether the NALSAR Executive Council will refuse to conduct the inquiry, citing constitutionality, and whether the BCI will accept that refusal.
Sources (7): livemint.com, indiatoday.in, nationalheraldindia.com, timesnownews.com, thefederal.com, livelaw.in, livelaw.in (2)
This story was synthesised by AI from the 7 sources linked above.
Updated: this story now draws on 7 sources.
