35-40% Advocates Are Fake : Bar Council Of India Chairperson

In a shocking revelation, the Bar Council of Chairperson said that about 35-40 per cent of advocates have fake degrees, and are practising in the Courts on the basis of fabricated degree certificates. Senior Advocate Manan Kumar Mishra, the BCI Chairperson, said that the BCI was aware of this issue and was in the process of taking steps.

"The Bar Council of India is aware that around 35 to 40 percent of those seen in court complexes wearing black coats and bands are fake. Their degrees are absolutely fake; they manufactured them somewhere or bought them from somewhere, and on that basis, they are practicing in courts," the BCI Chairperson told news agency IANS. Mishra said that when the BCI initiated the process to verify degrees, about 40% of the advocates did not fill up the verification forms. These 40% advocates are suspected to be fake, he said. He added that he has brought this fact to the attention of the Chief Justice of India.

He made this statement while giving his views about the 'Cockroach Janata Party' social media movement, which emerged following an oral comment made by the Chief Justice of India.

Explaining the CJI's comments, Mishra said that he was referring to youngsters who join professions with fake degrees. "The Chief Justice was referring to those who obtain fake degrees, wear black coats, bands, and robes, and appear in court. That statement was about them. The background of that situation was different," Mishra said.

Last week, while pulling up a lawyer who filed a petition pertaining to senior advocate designations, CJI Surya Kant had expressed doubts about the genuineness of the law degrees of several advocates. Saying that he does not expect the Bar Council of India to act, the CJI said that he was thinking of asking the Central Bureau of Investigation to verify the degrees. The CJI added that there were some unemployed youngsters like "cockroaches" who attack every system under the garb of activism. The Chief Justice later clarified that he was referring to those with fake degrees.