Judge Parry identified seven essential qualities (the “lamps”) that a great advocate must possess. These remain foundational to legal professional ethics:

1. Honesty: An advocate must never mislead the court. Truth is the bedrock of the profession.
2. Courage: The courage to present your client’s case fearlessly and to argue against popular opinion or powerful opponents.
3. Industry: Hard work and thorough preparation are indispensable. There is no substitute for meticulous preparation.
4. Wit: The ability to adapt quickly, see connections, and use appropriate humour at the right moment without trivialising the proceedings.
5. Eloquence: The power of clear, persuasive, and well-organised expression — both oral and written.
6. Judgement: The ability to assess the strength of one’s case objectively, know when to press an advantage and when to concede.
7. Fellowship: Collegiality and respect for fellow lawyers, the Bench, and the administration of justice as a whole.

There shall be a Bar Council for the territories to which this Act extends to be known as the Bar Council of India.

Composition (S. 4):

• One member elected by each State Bar Council from amongst its members.
• The Attorney General of India, ex officio.
• The Solicitor General of India, ex officio.
• The BCI is a body corporate with perpetual succession and a common seal (S. 5).

There shall be a Bar Council for each State. Each State Bar Council:

• Consists of elected members from advocates enrolled on its roll.
• Is a body corporate with perpetual succession.
• Has jurisdiction over advocates enrolled in the respective State.
• Maintains the State roll of advocates.

1. To lay down standards of professional conduct and etiquette for advocates.
2. To lay down the procedure to be followed by its disciplinary committees and those of State Bar Councils.
3. To safeguard the rights, privileges, and interests of advocates.
4. To promote and support law reform.
5. To deal with and dispose of any matter arising under this Act, which involves the members of two or more State Bar Councils.
6. To exercise general supervision and control over State Bar Councils.
7. To promote legal education and to lay down standards of such education in consultation with Universities in India imparting such education and the State Bar Councils.
8. To recognise Universities whose degree in law shall be a qualification for enrolment as an advocate.
9. To conduct seminars and organise talks on legal topics.
10. To manage and invest funds of the Bar Council.

There shall be two classes of advocates, namely:

• Senior Advocates: Designated as such by the Supreme Court of India or a High Court on the basis of their ability, standing at the Bar, or special knowledge or experience in law. Senior Advocates are subject to the restrictions as to practice prescribed by the Bar Council of India (e.g., they cannot appear without a junior advocate, cannot advise on briefs, cannot draft pleadings — they are purely advocates in court).
• Other Advocates: All remaining advocates enrolled under the Act.

A person shall be qualified to be admitted as an advocate on a State roll if he:

1. Is a citizen of India. (Proviso: nationals of certain other countries may be admitted if India citizens are permitted to practice in those countries.)
2. Has completed the age of 21 years.
3. Has obtained a degree in law:
   • Before 12.3.1967: any degree in law from a recognised university
   • On or after 12.3.1967 but before 1.6.2009: after LL.B. (3-year) from a recognised university
   • On or after 1.6.2009: after LL.B. (3-year) or LL.B. (5-year integrated) from a recognised university
4. Fulfils any other conditions specified in the rules made by the State Bar Council under this Act.
5. Has paid the prescribed stamp duty and enrolment fee.

A State Bar Council may remove from the State roll the name of any advocate who is dead or from whom a request has been received to that effect. Where it is satisfied that an advocate is disqualified under Section 24A, the Council may remove his name after affording him a reasonable opportunity of being heard.

Subject to the provisions of this Act and any rules made thereunder, there shall, as from the appointed day, be only one class of persons entitled to practice the profession of law, namely, advocates.

Subject to the provisions of this Act, every advocate whose name is entered in the State roll shall be entitled as of right to practice throughout the territories to which this Act extends:

• In all courts including the Supreme Court;
• Before any tribunal or person legally authorised to take evidence; and
• Before any other authority or person before whom such advocate is by or under any law for the time being in force entitled to practice.

Except as otherwise provided in this Act or in any other law for the time being in force, no person shall, on or after the appointed day, be entitled to practice in any court or before any authority or person unless he is enrolled as an advocate under this Act.

1. An advocate shall, during the presentation of his case and while otherwise acting before a court, conduct himself with dignity and self-respect.
2. An advocate shall not influence the decision of a court by any illegal or improper means. Private communications with a judge relating to a pending case are wholly improper.
3. An advocate shall use his best efforts to restrain and prevent his client from resorting to sharp or unfair practices.
4. An advocate shall appear in court at all times only in the prescribed dress, and his appearance shall always be presentable.
5. An advocate shall not enter appearance, act, plead or practice in any way before a court, tribunal or authority if the sole or any member of the Bench is related to the advocate as father, grandfather, son, grandson, uncle, brother, nephew, first cousin, husband, wife, mother, daughter, sister, aunt, niece, father-in-law, mother-in-law, son-in-law, brother-in-law, daughter-in-law, or sister-in-law.
6. An advocate shall not wear bands or gown in public places other than in courts except on such ceremonial occasions and at such places as the Bar Council of India or as the court may prescribe.
7. An advocate shall not act on the instructions of any person other than his client or his authorised agent.

1. An advocate is bound to accept any brief in the courts or tribunals or before any authority in or before which he proposes to practice at a fee consistent with his standing at the Bar and the nature of the case. Special circumstances may justify his refusal to accept a particular brief.
2. An advocate shall not ordinarily withdraw from engagements once accepted, without sufficient cause and unless reasonable and sufficient notice is given to the client.
3. An advocate shall, at the commencement of his engagement and during the continuance thereof, make all such full and frank disclosures to his client relating to his connection with the parties and any interest in or about the controversy as are likely to affect his client’s judgement in engaging him.
4. It shall be the duty of an advocate fearlessly to uphold the interests of his client by all fair and honourable means without regard to any unpleasant consequences to himself or any other. He shall defend a person accused of a crime regardless of his personal opinion as to the guilt of the accused, remembering that his loyalty is to the law which requires that no man should be condemned unheard.
5. An advocate shall not suppress any evidence or document which he is required to produce under an order of the court.
6. An advocate shall not accept a brief or appear in a case in which he has reason to believe that he will be a witness, and if being engaged in a case, it becomes apparent that he is a witness on a material question of fact, he shall not continue to appear as an advocate if he can retire without jeopardising his client’s interests.
7. An advocate shall not place himself in a position where his personal interest conflicts with his professional duty.
8. An advocate shall not act on the instructions of any person other than his client or his authorised agent.
9. An advocate shall not stipulate for a fee contingent on the results of litigation or agree to share the proceeds thereof.
10. An advocate shall not buy or traffic in, or stipulate for, or agree to receive any share or interest in any actionable claim. Explanation: An advocate shall not do anything whereby he abuses or takes advantage of the confidence reposed in him by his client.
11. An advocate shall not adjust fee payable to him by his client against his own personal liability to the client, which liability does not arise in the course of his employment as an advocate.
12. An advocate shall not do any act or make any omission likely to cause dishonour to himself or to weaken public confidence in the legal profession.
13. An advocate shall maintain a proper accounting system and keep a proper account of his clients’ money.

1. An advocate shall not in any way communicate or negotiate upon the subject matter of controversy with any party represented by an advocate except through that advocate.
2. An advocate shall co-operate with the opposite advocates in all matters of common professional requirement.
3. An advocate shall not represent clients with conflicting interests without the prior consent of all concerned.

Where on receipt of a complaint or otherwise, a State Bar Council has reason to believe that any advocate on its roll has been guilty of professional or other misconduct, it shall refer the case for disposal to its disciplinary committee.

Punishments that may be imposed (Section 35(3)):

1. Dismissal of the complaint (if groundless).
2. Reprimand of the advocate.
3. Suspension of the advocate from practice for a specified period.
4. Removal of the advocate’s name from the State roll (disbarment).

The BCI may, on its own motion or on a reference made to it, withdraw for inquiry before itself any proceeding for disciplinary action against any advocate pending before a State Bar Council’s Disciplinary Committee. The BCI may then impose any punishment specified in S. 35(3). The BCI also has jurisdiction over its own members.

Any person aggrieved by an order of the Disciplinary Committee of a State Bar Council made under Section 35 may, within 60 days of the date of the order, prefer an appeal to the Bar Council of India.

Any person aggrieved by an order made by the BCI’s Disciplinary Committee under Section 36 or Section 37 may, within 60 days of the date of the order, prefer an appeal to the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court may pass such order as it deems fit.

• Section 2(a): “Contempt of court” means civil contempt or criminal contempt.
• Section 2(b) — Civil Contempt: Wilful disobedience of any judgment, decree, direction, order, writ, or other process of a court, or wilful breach of an undertaking given to a court.
• Section 2(c) — Criminal Contempt: Publication (by words, spoken or written, signs, or otherwise) of any matter or doing of any act which:
  • (i) Scandalises or tends to scandalise, or lowers or tends to lower the authority of, any court; or
  • (ii) Prejudices, or interferes or tends to interfere with, the due course of any judicial proceeding; or
  • (iii) Interferes or tends to interfere with, or obstructs or tends to obstruct, the administration of justice in any other manner.

Save as otherwise expressly provided in this Act or in any other law, a contempt of court may be punished with:

• Simple imprisonment for a term which may extend to six months, or
• With fine which may extend to Rs. 2,000, or
• With both.

Section 12(3): Notwithstanding anything contained in this section, where a person is found guilty of civil contempt, the court, if it considers that a fine will not meet the ends of justice and that a sentence of imprisonment is necessary, shall, instead of sentencing him to simple imprisonment, direct that he be detained in a civil prison for such period not exceeding six months as it may think fit.

Notwithstanding anything contained in any law for the time being in force:

• No court shall impose a sentence under this Act for a contempt of court unless it is satisfied that the contempt is of such a nature that it substantially interferes, or tends substantially to interfere with the due course of justice.
• The court may permit, in any proceeding for contempt of court, justification by truth as a valid defence if it is satisfied that it is in the public interest and the request for invoking the said defence is bona fide.

• Section 14: Contempt in the face of the Supreme Court or High Court — the court may deal with it summarily by recording what was said/done and sentencing after giving the contemnor an opportunity to explain.
• Section 15: Cognizance of criminal contempt not committed in the face of the court — requires (a) motion of the Advocate General/Solicitor General, or (b) suo motu action by the court, or (c) a person filing a petition with the consent of the AG.
• Section 17: Hearing of cases of contempt — the court must give the alleged contemnor a reasonable opportunity to answer the charge and make representations. Principles of natural justice (audi alteram partem) apply.
• Section 18: Contempt proceedings against High Court judges must be heard by a bench of not less than two judges of that High Court.

1. Clarity: Use simple, unambiguous language. Avoid jargon unless legally necessary.
2. Precision: Every word matters. Vague drafting leads to disputes and litigation.
3. Completeness: Include all relevant facts, parties, dates, and legal provisions.
4. Structure: Logical organisation — facts first, then issues, then prayers/relief.
5. Legal accuracy: Correct citation of statutes, sections, and case law.
6. No material misrepresentation: An advocate cannot knowingly state falsehoods in pleadings.