BCI Clears Path for Law Graduates Held Back by Attendance Deficits

The Bar Council of India (BCI) has reportedly approved an exceptional, one-time arrangement permitting select law graduates affected by attendance shortages to apply for enrolment as advocates. The directive, dated 12 August 2026, aims to resolve enrolment hurdles for candidates who successfully passed their examinations and obtained recognised LLB degrees but were held back due to strict attendance certification mandates.

Scope of Judicial Protection

The relief applies strictly to candidates whose academic session was ongoing when the Delhi High Court reportedly delivered its judgment on 3 November 2025, and who were subsequently protected by the Supreme Court’s order dated 21 July 2026. Following representations from students at the Faculty of Law, University of Delhi, the BCI recognised that the issue extended beyond individual institutions. Under the new arrangement, enrolment applications for candidates within this protected class cannot be rejected, withheld, or delayed solely on the grounds of an attendance shortfall during the protected session. The BCI stressed that the judicial protection granted by the apex court must be given meaningful effect, noting that an attendance deficit which did not block a student from completing their degree should not subsequently bar their entry into the legal profession.

Uniform National Application

Clarifying the nationwide scope of the decision, the regulator stated that the relief is not confined to Delhi University graduates but applies uniformly across all BCI-recognised universities and Centres of Legal Education in India as per reports. To qualify, candidates must have been validly admitted, permitted to take the relevant examinations in line with the protected legal position, passed all prescribed papers, and satisfied all statutory requirements under Sections 24 and 24A of the Advocates Act, 1961.

Alternative Certification Protocol

Addressing administrative bottlenecks at the university level, the BCI explicitly clarified that universities will not be required to falsify or alter historical records to certify that a student met standard attendance thresholds. Instead, Centres of Legal Education are authorised to issue an alternative certificate confirming that the candidate was duly enrolled, belonged to the session protected by the Supreme Court order, was permitted to sit for the relevant examinations, and holds a genuine LLB degree.