Breaking: Jammu & Kashmir could get a State Bar Council (finally)

The State of Jammu & Kashmir may very well get its State Bar Council soon, after the Bar Council of India told the Supreme Court that the BCI had approved the Jammu & Kashmir State Bar Council Draft Rules..The BCI’s lawyer, AK Prasad, also told the Bench of Chief Justice TS Thakur, and AM Khanwilkar, DY Chandrachud JJ. that these draft rules would now be forwarded to the Central government for publication in the gazette. The court recorded the same in its order and listed the matter after six weeks..This development came about in a petition filed by Senior Advocate Bhim Singh praying that a State Bar Council should be established in J&K. Currently, the High Court of J&K has been functioning as the Bar Council of J&K, in accordance with a transitory arrangement provided under Section 58 of the Advocates Act, 1961..Singh had alleged that no initiative was being taken to constitute the Bar Council by holding elections in accordance with the provisions of the Act. He also alleged that the denial to the lawyers’ fraternity of J&K to have a democratically elected Bar Council amounted to a violation of fundamental rights under Article 14, 19, 21 as well as the provisions of the Act..When the matter came up for hearing almost two years back, Justice Thakur had berated the High Court and the state government for their inaction in the matter.