Students from the graduating batch of the National Law School of India University, Bengaluru, on Saturday condemned the Bar Council of India’s now-withdrawn action against the outgoing National Academy of Legal Studies and Research batch and demanded an unconditional apology from the regulatory body, Live Law reported.

The statement expressed solidarity with NALSAR students and faculty over two letters issued by the council on Thursday.

On Thursday, the council had directed state bar councils to defer the enrolment of NALSAR’s graduating batch as advocates, objecting to a campaign by some students against the institute inviting Chief Justice Surya Kant to their convocation.

It withdrew the decision a few hours later, but said it had sought an inquiry report from the university identifying those who were “principally instrumental” in opposing Kant’s participation in the convocation.

Later in the night, the council closed all proceedings against the students, saying it was satisfied that the 2026 batch had no role in any “disturbance or movement”.

The Bengaluru law school students said the withdrawal did not “alter the nature or the larger impact of such actions”. It highlighted that at no point did the council “acknowledge the arbitrary and illegal nature of its actions”.

They argued that the council’s powers under the 1961 Advocates Act did not extend to directing state bar councils to suspend or prevent the enrolment of otherwise qualified advocates. The statement also questioned Chairman Manan Kumar Mishra’s authority to issue such directions unilaterally, Live Law reported.

They accused the council of infringing on the constitutional right to freedom of speech and expression, particularly by directing NALSAR to identify students and faculty members who had participated in the representation. They described the move as “nothing less than a witch-hunt” that could have a “chilling effect” on free speech.

The students from NLSIU said the actions sent “a clear signal” that any act of dissent could be met with severe personal and professional consequences, Live Law reported.

The statement backed the NALSAR students’ request to reconsider Kant as chief guest at their convocation and opposed his attendance at NLSIU’s convocation for the same reasons.

SC plea seeks term limits for Bar Council chief

Meanwhile, a petition filed in the Supreme Court has sought structural reforms to the functioning of the Bar Council, including limits on the tenure and number of terms of its chairman and other office-bearers, Bar and Bench reported.

The petition challenges provisions that allow members of the council to continue in office until their successors are elected.

The plea seeks a fixed tenure for the chairman and vice-chairman, a maximum of__ three terms__ in their lifetime and a rotational system to provide representatives from different states and regions an opportunity to hold the top post, Live Law reported.

The plea points to Mishra’s continued tenure as chairman since November 2014 and argues that prolonged continuation of the same individuals in senior positions has weakened the representative character of the statutory body.

NALSAR row

NALSAR has extended an invitation to the CJI for the upcoming convocation despite students urging the university to reconsider the decision, citing Kant’s response to a petition alleging that police had used excessive force against protesters in Delhi on July 20.

Kant had reportedly told the lawyer not to “waste our time” and said the bench was not interested in watching video evidence of the alleged police action.

In a communication addressed to state bar councils and NALSAR Vice-Chancellor Srikrishna Deva Rao, the bar council chairman had asked the university to submit a factual report within three days about the persons involved in mobilising the “organised campaign” against the CJI’s participation.

Political campaign Cockroach Janta Party had described the directive as “grossly disproportionate” and warned of protests by law students and advocates if it was not taken back.

Abhijeet Dipke, founder of the Cockroach Janta Party, had warned of a protest outside the Bar Council’s office and Mishra’s official residence by law students, advocates, senior lawyers, and “well-meaning young cockroaches”, if the order was not withdrawn.

Edited by Neerad Pandharipande.

Also read: What the Bar Council’s bid to curb NALSAR students says about university autonomy

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