Bombay High Court Upholds Bar Council Circular on Law Students' Criminal Declarations

The Bombay High Court ruled that the Bar Council of India's circular requiring law students to declare any criminal history is legal. The court dismissed a PIL challenging the circular as discriminatory, emphasizing the need for ethical standards in the legal profession. The petitioner withdrew the case.

The Bombay High Court on Monday ruled that a circular issued by the Bar Council of India (BCI) mandating law students to disclose any criminal antecedents is not illegal.

Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice Bharati Dangre dismissed a public interest litigation (PIL) by Ashok Yende, which challenged the circular claiming it discriminated against law students. According to the BCI, the circular is crucial for maintaining ethical standards in the legal field.

The court observed that students are simply required to declare any criminal involvement, not penalized immediately, and thus upheld the circular's validity. The petitioner chose to withdraw the case after the bench frowned upon the unnecessary litigation.