Evan V

 
The Supreme Court of India, on February 11, 2026, called upon key stakeholders to place before it the agreed terms of reference in the ongoing suo motu proceedings titled Re: Strengthening and Enhancing the Institutional Strength of Bar Associations, initiated by a coordinate Bench in July 2024.

A Division Bench of Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice Satish Chandra Sharma passed the direction after hearing senior members of the Bar, representatives of bar bodies and the amicus curiae.

The proceedings trace their origin to a decision of the Madras High Court in a dispute concerning membership of the Madras Bar Association. By an order dated July 16, 2024, a coordinate Bench of the Supreme Court had re-captioned the matter as a broader institutional exercise—Re: Strengthening and Enhancing the Institutional Strength of Bar Associations—thereby expanding the scope beyond the original controversy to examine systemic issues affecting bar associations across the country.

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That order also directed implementation of, inter alia, the Bar Council of India, the Supreme Court Bar Association, the Supreme Court Advocates-on-Record Association, State Bar Councils through their Chairpersons, and High Court Bar Associations through counsel.

The Bench noted that, despite the matter being taken up on multiple occasions after July 2024, the formal terms of reference—necessary for an authoritative and structured adjudication—had yet to be crystallised. Submissions were heard from the amicus curiae, senior advocate K. Parameshwar, and from advocate Vipin Nair, who has been appointed as nodal counsel, besides several counsel representing bar bodies and other stakeholders.

The Court requested counsel on record to place before it agreed terms of reference within four weeks.

To ensure wider participation, the Court directed nodal counsel Vipin Nair to circulate the proposed terms of reference to the Registrars General of all High Courts, who, in turn, were directed to circulate the same to the bar associations of District and Sub-Divisional Courts within their jurisdictions.

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District and Sub-Divisional Court Bar Associations were also granted liberty to send their suggestions directly to the designated email address, as recorded by the Court: "It shall be open to such District/Sub-Divisional Courts' Bar Associations to forward their suggestions/suggested terms to nodalcounsel.scaora@gmail.com, which is the relevant email address."

The matter has been directed to be re-listed after eight weeks, when the Court proposes to consider the suggested terms of reference and determine the future course of the suo motu proceedings.

Cause Title: Re: Strengthening and Enhancing the Institutional Strength of Bar Associations v. The Registrar General & Ors.