New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday issued notices to the Centre, the Bar Council of India (BCI), state bar councils and the University Grants Commission (UGC) on a public interest litigation seeking the creation of a national advocate verification mechanism to identify fake lawyers and regulate professional conduct on social media.
The petition, filed by the Bar Association of India (BAI), has sought the establishment of a National Digital Registry for the Legal Profession of India (NDRLP), a centralised technology-driven database that would assign every advocate a unique identification number linked to verified educational qualifications, enrolment status and disciplinary records.
According to the petition, the proposed registry would function as an Aadhaar-like verification system for legal professionals and help improve transparency and accountability within the legal profession.
“The establishment of the NDRLP is not merely a matter of professional governance. It is a direct investment in India’s credibility as the world’s largest rule-of-law-based democracy and as a destination for long-term domestic and foreign investment,” the plea stated.
A Bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant observed that the proposal appeared to be a significant reform but noted that all law universities would need to be made parties to the proceedings and disclose details of genuine law graduates before such a system could be considered.
“Looks like a novel reform, but all law universities have to be made parties and they should disclose who are the bona fide law graduates from those institutes,” the Bench remarked, adding that the views of all stakeholders would have to be examined before moving forward.
The court also indicated that it may consider constituting a committee with a fresh composition to examine the issues raised in the petition.
During the hearing, BAI counsel Prashant Kumar argued that advocate verification and digital conduct were closely linked. He submitted that statements made by lawyers on social media often carry greater public credibility because of their professional status. The petition seeks not only regulatory measures but also guidelines to help lawyers, particularly young practitioners, engage responsibly on digital platforms.
Referring to concerns about online conduct, Chief Justice Kant remarked that advocates are generally responsible and stressed the need to support young members of the legal profession.
“The best way is to strengthen the young members of the Bar. Unless they have secured space in the profession, unless they are periodically trained and brought into the mainstream, these problems will arise,” the Chief Justice observed.
He added that the future of the legal profession rests with young lawyers and praised several constructive initiatives undertaken by associations formed by younger members of the Bar.
The plea highlighted concerns over the absence of a unified national database of advocates and described the current enrolment system as fragmented across 23 state bar councils without uniform standards or real-time verification mechanisms.
The issue gained attention after BCI Chairman Manan Kumar Mishra reportedly stated last month that nearly 35 to 40 per cent of advocates in the country possessed fake degrees, a claim that has intensified calls for stricter verification procedures.
The matter will be taken up after responses are received from the concerned authorities and stakeholders.
