Bar Council of India
Also called: BCI · Topic: Statutory, Regulatory and Quasi-judicial Bodies · NCERT: Beyond NCERT
Meaning
The Bar Council of India (BCI) is a statutory body set up under the Advocates Act 1961. A statutory body is one created by an Act of Parliament. The BCI regulates who can enrol as an advocate (lawyer), sets standards of professional conduct and oversees legal education. It is India's standard example of professional self-regulation, where members of a profession make and enforce the rules for their own field.
Example
Under the Advocates Act 1961, the BCI sets the rules of conduct that every advocate in India must follow. It can act against lawyers who break them. It also sets standards for law colleges whose degrees count for enrolment.
Don't confuse with
- National Medical Commission: it regulates doctors through a body set up by law to replace the old council, and is the standard example of statutory regulation. The BCI stands for self-regulation by the profession.
Related concepts
- Food Safety and Standards Authority of India
- Central Consumer Protection Authority
- Central Pollution Control Board
- National Medical Commission
- University Grants Commission
- National Disaster Management Authority