In Brief
The Supreme Court held that the Bar Council of India possesses statutory power under the Advocates Act, 1961, to prescribe pre-enrolment and post-enrolment examinations, as well as training requirements for entry into the legal profession. The Court overruled V. Sudeer v. Bar Council of India, which had invalidated the 1995 Training Rules. Emphasizing that quality control of entry into the legal profession is essential for the administration of justice, the Court affirmed that the Bar Council of India's wide rule-making powers under Sections 24(3)(d) and 49(1)(ag)–(ah) adequately support such regulations. The judgment establishes principles for examination timing, validity periods, re-examination after substantial career breaks, and protection of interim-period practice rights for unrolled law graduates.
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