Supreme Court Seeks Inputs In Suo Motu Case For Strengthening Bar Associations

The Supreme Court of India on February 11, 2026, directed stakeholders to place before it agreed terms of reference in the suo motu proceedings titled Re: Strengthening and Enhancing the Institutional Strength of Bar Associations, which were initiated by a coordinate bench in July 2024.

A bench comprising Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice Satish Chandra Sharma passed the order after hearing senior advocates, representatives of bar bodies and the amicus curiae.

Background

The matter arises out of a Madras High Court decision regarding a dispute over membership to the Madras Bar Association.

By an order dated July 16, 2024, a coordinate bench had directed that the proceedings be re-captioned as Re: Strengthening and Enhancing the Institutional Strength of Bar Associations, expanding the scope beyond the original lis to address systemic concerns relating to bar bodies across the country.

The July 2024 order also directed the impleadment of the Bar Council of India, the Supreme Court Bar Association, the Supreme Court Advocates-on-Record Association, the Bar Councils of all States through their respective Chairpersons, and the High Court Bar Associations through their counsel.

On Febraury 10, the bench observed that although the matter has been considered on several occasions after July 16, 2024, formal terms of reference for an authoritative determination by the Court are yet to be framed.

The Court heard submissions from senior advocate K. Parameshwar, amicus curiae, and advocate Vipin Nair, who has been appointed as the nodal counsel by the Court.

Submissions were also advanced by senior advocate A. Sirajudeen for the original petitioners Elephant G. Rajendran and A. Mohandoss, Nikhil Jain counsel for the Supreme Court Advocates-on-Record Association, senior advocate Anand Sanjay M. Nuli for the Supreme Court Bar Association, Radhika Gautam counsel for the Bar Council of India, and representatives of various district and regional bar associations, including the All District Bar Association, Haryana represented by counsel Vikas Verma and the Advocates' Association of Western India represented by counsel Sandeep Sudhakar Deshmukh

The bench requested the appearing counsel to place before it agreed terms of reference within four weeks.

It also directed nodal counsel Vipin Nair to circulate the suggested terms of reference to the Registrars General of all High Courts. The Registrars General are to further circulate them to the Bar Associations of the District and Sub-Divisional Courts within their respective jurisdictions.

The Court granted liberty to District and Sub-Divisional Court Bar Associations to forward their suggestions or proposed terms to the designated email address communicated by the Court.

The matter has been directed to be re-listed after eight weeks, when the Court proposes to consider the suggested terms of reference and decide the future course of the proceedings.

Further, the Court noted that “it shall be open to such District/Sub-Divisional Courts' Bar Associations to forward their suggestions/suggested terms to nodalcounsel.scaora@gmail.com which is the relevant email address.”

The Court directed to re-list the matter after eight weeks, to consider the suggested terms of reference.

Cause Title: RE: STRENGTHENING AND ENHANCING THE INSTITUTIONAL STRENGTH OF BAR ASSOCIATIONS VERSUS THE REGISTRAR GENERAL & ORS.

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