Plea in Supreme Court seeks removal of BCI chairperson Mishra

A plea has been filed in the Supreme Court challenging the legality of Bar Council of India (BCI) chairperson Manan Kumar Mishra's extended tenure and seeking his removal. Filed by advocate Yogamaya MG, the petition argues that Rule 12(2) of the BCI prescribes a two-year term for the chairman, but Mishra has held the post since 2012, barring a brief period in 2014. The plea challenges an April 21, 2025 Gazette notification extending his tenure until 2030, calling it a violation of the statutory framework. It seeks an independent committee headed by a former Supreme Court judge or former high court chief justice to probe the matter.

Separately, the Campaign for Judicial Accountability and Reforms (CJAR) has demanded Mishra's immediate resignation, alleging he has used the BCI chairman's post to further a political agenda. CJAR cited an August 13 directive, later withdrawn, barring enrollment of the 2026 batch of NALSAR students after they opposed Chief Justice Surya Kant's convocation invite. CJAR also flagged that the Advocates Act provides a two-year term, and that Mishra, a Rajya Sabha MP from the BJP, has set up a trust (Pearl-First Trust) under BCI, making himself a lifetime trustee, with funds under CBI inquiry. Both the Bombay Bar Association and BCI Co-Chairman Y.R. Sadasiva Reddy have also called for his resignation.