The Supreme Court on Friday stayed a resolution issued by Bar Council of India (BCI) that had made it mandatory for Advocates-on-Record (AoRs) to undergo its ongoing verification drive to check professional credentials of practicing lawyers.
The BCI, the apex bar body, has undertaken a verification drive to weed out law practitioners with fake law degrees and done away with the earlier clause that had granted exemption to AoRs from filling up a verification form under the BCI's Certificate of Practice Rules, 2015.
AoRs are those lawyers who clear qualifying examination conducted by the apex court and are entitled to appear and sign petitions and documents in the top court.
They were opposing the BCI resolution on the grounds including that they have become AoRs with the nod of the apex court and their details were there on the Supreme Court site.
"No effect should be given to the (BCI) resolution. let the matter be heard on June 30," a vacation bench comprising Justices P C Ghose and Amitava Roy said and allowed the Supreme Court Advocate-on-Record Association (SCAORA) to be a party to the ongoing lis (suit) on the issue.