New Delhi– The Supreme Court on Wednesday said elections in state bar councils have to be held by January 31, 2026 keeping mind the long pendency.

A bench of Justices Surya Kant, Ujjal Bhuyan and N Kotiswar Singh said verification drive for LLB certificates cannot be a ground for postponing the elections.

“Having regard to the fact that elections to the State Bar Councils have not been held for decades, we have impressed upon senior counsel appearing for the Bar Council of India to ensure that elections of all State Bar Councils are held, if not simultaneously, in phased manner, by January 31, 2026,” the bench ordered.

The top court was informed that the ongoing drive for verification of LLB certificates of advocates revealed a large number of fake degrees.

“There are people with fake

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