In a significant development concerning legal self-regulation, the Supreme Court on Wednesday directed the Bar Council of India (BCI) to ensure that elections to all State Bar Councils are conducted by January 31, 2026 , either simultaneously or in a phased manner. The Court made it clear that no further delay would be tolerated and warned that it may appoint a court commission to conduct the elections if necessary.

The Bench comprising Justices Surya Kant, Ujjal Bhuyan, and NK Singh was hearing a batch of petitions, which raised concerns about the prolonged delay in holding State Bar Council elections—some of which haven’t been conducted for over two years .

Court Rejects Plea to Extend Deadline

The Court’s direction came after Senior Advocate Guru Krishnakumar , appearing fo

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