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CJI Kant shields NALSAR students, trashes BCI intervention
The Supreme Court on Friday protected students and faculty of NALSAR University of Law from any punitive action by the Bar Council of India (BCI), with Chief Justice Surya Kant calling the…
The Story in Brief
The Supreme Court on Friday protected students and faculty of NALSAR University of Law from any punitive action by the Bar Council of India (BCI), with Chief Justice Surya Kant calling the regulator’s intervention “completely unnecessary”. The court issued notice to the BCI, which had initially directed state bar councils to deny enrolment to NALSAR’s entire 2026 graduating batch for opposing the CJI’s convocation invitation. The BCI withdrew that order within hours amid sharp criticism, but the court still took a stern view. The CJI observed that students have a right to protest, and the matter was a dialogue between him and the students. The case returns for hearing in two weeks.
The Indian Opinion
The BCI’s original threat to bar an entire batch from enrolment was a disproportionate response to a student representation. Portraying this as an attack on institutional dignity ignores that peaceful dissent is a constitutional right, not a sign of disrespect. The council’s flip-flop and subsequent reliance on ‘reliable sources’ about outside instigation only weakened its case. The real test will come in two weeks: will the court’s final order draw a clear line between permissible expression and professional misconduct? That boundary must respect both the students’ voice and the integrity of legal education.
Sources (5): nationalheraldindia.com, timesofindia.indiatimes.com, timesofindia.indiatimes.com (2), thenewsminute.com, thenewsminute.com (2)
This story was synthesised by AI from the 5 sources linked above.
Updated: this story now draws on 5 sources.
