Karnataka Bar Council bars lawyers failing AIBE

BENGALURU: Lawyers who fail to clear the All India Bar Examination (AIBE) within two years of registering as advocates must immediately stop practising, the Karnataka State Bar Council has directed.

State Bar Council Chairman Rajanna R. issued a circular on Sunday following a Karnataka High Court judgment dated October 17.

According to the circular, advocates who completed their law degrees and registered with the Bar Council on or before June 12, 2010, covering the 2009‑10 academic year, are exempt from the examination.

However, those who graduated and registered after June 12, 2010, must clear the AIBE within two years of registration. Those who fail to meet this requirement cannot appear before courts, tribunals or other authorities. They are also prohibited from filing vakalat forms to represent clients.

The circular warns that violations could invite disciplinary and criminal action under Section 45 of the Advocates Act, 1961, and relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023.

All Bar Associations in Karnataka have been directed to verify AIBE pass certificates and Certificates of Practice while admitting new members or renewing existing memberships.

The circular must also be displayed on the notice boards of all Bar Associations. They have been instructed to submit details of advocates who fail to comply with the directions to the State Bar Council within 30 days.

Advocates who subsequently clear the AIBE can apply for restoration of their right to practise law.

The State Bar Council has also directed that a compliance report on the implementation of the order be submitted to the High Court by November 30.