Advocate on record out of drive to verify lawyers

The advocate on record is being kept out of the verification drive as directed by the Supreme Court. It directed Bar Council of India to keep top courts’ advocate-on-record (AOR) out of the verification drive. This verification drive examines certificates and credentials of more than 17 lakh lawyers across the country.

An advocate on record is a lawyer who qualified the examination conducted by the Supreme Court. Being an advocate on record lets a lawyer file an appearance or act an appearance or act for a litigant in the Supreme Court. No other lawyer can do this.

The verification drive was launched by the BCI due to the allegations that there are many people who are practicing law in India without having a proper law degree.

Senior advocate Amrendra Sharan appeared for the association before a bench of Justices P C Ghose and Amitava Roy. He said that AOR should be exempt from this drive and should not be forced to submit their certificate before the BCI like other lawyers. He said that they registered only after cracking the exams conducted by the Supreme Court itself so they should be exempt from the drive.

He also added that initially designated senior advocates and AOR were exempted from verification process, however the council amended the rule illegally and brought AOR in the category of common lawyers.

The bench agreed to the plea from Sharan and agreed to check whether the amendment made by the BCI was within the law. In the meantime, SC directed the council to exempt AOR from the verification drive.

The rules for the verification process were formed by the council last year. The aim of the process is to find fake associates in the country. Under the process, all academic certificates of advocates were asked to be submitted to the BCI and state bar councils.

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