LI Network
Published on: 08 June 2023 at 22:57 IST
Today, the ’18th Bar Council of India Qualifying Examination for Indian Nationals Holding Foreign Law Degrees’ results were announced by the Bar Council of India. This announcement occurred shortly before the Supreme Court agreed to consider a Writ Petition that questions the delay in declaring the results, which had been pending for five months.
Advocate Yajur Bhalla made an urgent request to the Vacation Bench of Justice Aniruddha Bose and Justice Rajesh Bindal, seeking their intervention in a Writ Petition. The Writ Petition aims to compel the Bar Council of India (BCI) to declare the results of a certain examination on June 9, 2023. It was argued that the delay in announcing the results has prevented the candidates from appearing for the All India Bar Examination (AIBE).
The Writ Petition, filed by petitioner Anchita Nayyar through Advocate-on-Record Shubham Bhalla, highlights that the exams took place at the BCI office from December 19 to December 24, 2022. Despite more than five months passing since then, the results of over 75 candidates, including the petitioner, have not been disclosed, which the petition claims violates their rights to practice as Advocates.
The petitioner has invoked Article 32 of the Constitution of India and filed a plea requesting the issuance of a “Writ of Mandamus” to compel the respondent to declare the results of the 18th INHFLD exam. Nayyar, the petitioner, mentioned that the Bar Council of India (BCI) had given personal assurances that the results would be announced within a week. However, this commitment has not been fulfilled. The petitioner further stated that despite making several attempts to seek assistance and express concerns through phone calls, emails, and physical visits, the BCI has failed to respond or provide any support.
The plea highlighted that the Bar Council of India’s (BCI) delay in announcing the results of the 18th INHFLD examination was unjustified and lacked any reasonable explanation. This delay is particularly concerning considering the crucial role of the BCI as an important institution within the judicial system. Despite the petitioner and several other candidates seeking assistance from Senior Advocate Indira Jaising on May 12, 2023, who subsequently wrote an open letter to the Chairman of the Bar Council of India urging the prompt release of the results, the BCI has remained unresponsive. A significant period of time has passed without any action from the BCI.
The petitioner requested the Supreme Court to intervene and issue the necessary directions to declare the results promptly and within a specified timeframe determined by the Court.
In a similar situation, the Bar Council of India had released the results of the XVII All India Bar Examination (AIBE) in April, shortly after the Supreme Court issued a Writ Petition instructing the BCI to declare the results promptly.