Bombay High Court Directs Issuance of Provisional Sanad to Law Graduates
Bar Council of India to Rectify Website Error, Enabling Graduates to Appear for All India Bar Exam
In a significant judgment dated September 17, 2025, the Bombay High Court directed the issuance of provisional Sanads to law graduates from a Mumbai-based law college. The graduates had been denied the provisional Sanad due to an erroneous indication on the Bar Council of India's (BCI) website that the college's registration had lapsed.
The case, "Purva Alankrita v. Bar Council of India," was presided over by Justices Ravindra V. Ghuge and Ashwin D. Bhobe. The court heard that the graduates, who completed their education at a college affiliated with the University of Mumbai, were unable to obtain the provisional Sanad required to sit for the All India Bar Exam because the BCI's website erroneously listed their college's registration as lapsed. This error led the respective State Bar Councils to refuse the issuance of the necessary provisional Sanads.
During the proceedings, the advocate representing the BCI acknowledged the error and assured the court that corrective measures would be taken promptly. The BCI committed to updating its website by the evening of the same day to reflect that the college's registration was indeed valid. Furthermore, the BCI planned to communicate this correction to all State Bar Councils across India via email to ensure compliance.
The advocate for the Bar Council of Maharashtra and Goa acknowledged that there were no specific prayers against the State Bar Council and indicated that the petition required additional time for resolution. Meanwhile, the representative for the law college involved provided the court with a letter dated September 13, 2025, from the BCI, confirming the college's continued registration for the academic year 2024-2025. This letter, marked as 'X' for identification, highlighted that the college had been duly registered during the petitioners' period of study from 2017-2018 to 2024-2025.
With these clarifications, the court disposed of the petition, allowing the law graduates to receive their provisional Sanads and proceed with their plans to appear for the All India Bar Exam. This judgment underscores the importance of maintaining accurate records and communications to prevent undue hardship for aspiring legal professionals.
Bottom Line:
Law graduates from a law college whose registration was erroneously shown as lapsed on the Bar Council of India's website can obtain provisional Sanad once the error is rectified, enabling them to appear for the All India Bar Exam.
Statutory provision(s): Not specified in the judgment.
Purva Alankrita v. Bar Council of India, (Bombay)(DB) : Law Finder Doc Id # 2781317
