The Bar Council of India has removed 107 fake advocates from the Roll of Advocates between 2019 and October 2024, enrolled in the State of Delhi alone as part of its ongoing effort to maintain the integrity and professionalism of the legal community. This decisive action is aimed at eliminating fake advocates and those who no longer meet the standards of legal practice. By doing so, the BCI has tried to continue to protect the public's trust and the legal system itself from unethical practices.

The process is being conducted under Rule 32 of the Bar Council of India Certificate and Place of Practice (Verification) Rules, 2015, with a critical amendment to Rule 32 being notified on 23rd June 2023. This amendment further strengthened the verification framework, allowing the Bar Council to more effectively and systematically identify and remove unqualified/fake advocates from the Roll. The amended rule has proven to be a crucial step in creating a legal profession built on transparency and accountability.

Between 2019 and 23rd June 2023, several thousands of fake advocates were removed after a thorough investigation into their credentials and practices. These removals are largely due to issues of fake and forged certificates, and misrepresentation during enrolment. Besides, failure to actively practice law, and non-compliance with the Bar Council's verification processes also make Advocates names removed from the active practice.

The fake advocates are identified through continuous investigations conducted by the Bar Council and the High Powered Committee constituted by the Hon’ble Apex Court in case of Ajay Shanker Srivastava Versus Bar Council of India & Anr. in W.P. No. 82 of 2023. Some of the cases relating to forgery had been under review before the rule change, while others were addressed after the amendment. These removals further underscore the Bar Council’s long-term commitment to ensuring that the Roll of Advocates includes only those who are genuinely qualified and actively practicing.

The total of 107 latest removals reflects the combination of several hundreds of advocates being removed before 23rd June 2023. 50 advocates have been removed after the amendment. This breakdown clearly highlights the progress made in increasing the efficiency and thoroughness of the verification process, thanks in large part to the June 2023 amendment.

However, with the amendment to Rule 32 on 23rd June 2023, the process became significantly more efficient. The Order of Supreme Court in the case of Ajayinder Sangwan & Others Versus Bar Council of Delhi in TC(Civil) No. 126 of 2015 allowing the Rule 32 to be implemented effectively has enhanced procedures and allowed the Bar Council to identify and address cases of fraud and non-compliance at a much faster pace. This represents a marked improvement in the Bar Council's ability to protect the public and the profession from unqualified/fake individuals, emphasizing the importance of the updated rules in safeguarding the integrity of the legal community.