BCI Proposes Overhaul of Advocates Act, Bans Foreign Lawyers from Indian Courts | Today’s news
The Bar Council of India (BCI) has proposed a revised Advocates Bill, 2026, which introduces changes in Section 47 to ensure that Indian courts remain the exclusive domain of Indian advocates and that foreign lawyers and law firms are not allowed to appear before any Indian court.
The proposals also state that draft rules governing foreign law firms and lawyers must be drafted with the prior approval of the central government, as the center is best placed to take into account the country’s diplomatic and bilateral relations with foreign countries.
They also propose to increase the representation of women in the highest statutory body from 25 to 33, including four elected and three co-opted members.
The proposal seeks to empower the BCI and state bar councils to administer welfare funds for insurance, pensions, medical aid and support for disabled and dependent family members of lawyers, to be funded through contributions which the councils can now legally levy.
She also suggested increasing the legal education committee to 25 members from 10. They can add former judges, attorney general, attorney general, vice-chancellors and law deans.
The BCI proposed to increase the registration fee for new lawyers ₹18,000 for the State Bar Council and others ₹4,500 for the BCI, citing the Supreme Court’s 2024 judgment in Gaurav Kumar v. Union of India, which called the old fee ill-advised to inflation.
The BCI circulated the draft on 18 July and called for recommendations by 31 July.
Second attempt
This is the second attempt to change the six-decade-old law that governs India’s legal profession. The 2025 proposal, tabled by the Law Ministry, sought government nominees for the BCI and threatened advocates with heavy fines and disciplinary action for participating in strikes.
From the revised proposal, proposals for government candidates and a ₹A fine of CZK 5,000,000 for the disciplinary statute of limitations, as they were strongly opposed by the BCI, which said the legal profession should continue to be regulated by a statutory body, not the government.
“BCI should regulate and not ban foreign lawyers in arbitration. Competition will improve the quality of advocacy,” said former judge Hemant Gupta.
The government said in a statement that the amendments aim to modernize the law, strengthen legal education and improve professional standards while preserving the independence of the legal profession.
