The Bar Council of India has extended the deadline for submission of details of all the practicing Advocates who are the member of their respective Bar Association for the perusal of e-committee of Supreme Court of India, until December 31, 2020.
The date has extended further by the General Council of the Bar Council of India after receiving many requests from various Bar Associations and State Bar Council.
General Council of Bar Council of India said that "After consideration, the General Council of the bar council of India has resolved to extend the last date for submission of the details of every practicing advocate of the country short as per the requirement of a committee of the Supreme Court of India till, December 31, 2020."
Bar Council of India has requested all the individual Advocates who have not yet submitted their details to send their details through the respective Bar Association or through the respective Bar Council under whom they are enrolled.
The Council has already stated that " They have to submit their details to respective Bar Associations of which they are a member and for convenience and ease, the entire list shall be required to be sent by/ through the bar associations to Bar Council of India in word /excel format."
Reiterating the same, it said,
"Even earlier too, the communication by the Bar Council of India has been addressed to Bar Associations and to bar council so lonely and individual advocates where is specifically requested not to send any email with his or her detail to Bar Council of India by email. Individual Advocates should submit their details through Bar Association or through Bar Council as it will not be feasible together search required details of Advocates if they are sent individually, and sending it through bar associations and bar council would be appropriate and feasible."
Further, the Council has said that it is not mandatory to submit the information on the letterhead of the concerned Advocates, and furthermore, it is not mandatory to append signatures of the Advocate furnishing such information by email, if the same is not feasible.
The Council has said that this proposal is for the benefit of all the Advocates. The Supreme Court has evolved a method of communication with the Bar in 22 different regional languages of the country; the committee has also been training for the lawyers for e-filings, virtual hearing, etc, and other necessary information and reports which shall also be made available to Advocates.
The Bar Council of India also asked the Bar Association to be more active as the details which have been sought, may not be available with the State Bar Council. The letter dated July 24, 2020, Bar Council of India has requested all the district and taluka bar association's across the country to supply all the details of the practicing advocate who are the member of their respective Bar Association for the perusal of e-committee of Supreme Court of India.
Council of India made this exercise as mandatory and such an Advocate who fails to furnish the requisite information to their respective Bar Association which in turn will forward the data to the bar council of India shall be treated as "Non-Practicing Advocate by the Council."
The first time all the concerned body was given 15-day time to complete this exercise but after several requests made to the Council the period was later extended till November 15, 2020, and now it has been extended till December 31, 2020.
