Advocates Act 1961
Also: Advocates Act
The principal Indian statute governing the legal profession, establishing the Bar Council of India, State Bar Councils, and the framework for advocate enrolment and conduct.
The Advocates Act 1961 is the principal Indian statute governing the legal profession in India. The Act establishes the Bar Council of India as the apex regulatory body, State Bar Councils for each state, and the framework for advocate enrolment, professional conduct, and disciplinary proceedings.
Section 49 of the Act empowers the Bar Council of India to make rules of professional standards. The Bar Council of India Rules — particularly Part VI, Chapter II (Standards of Professional Conduct and Etiquette) — set out the operational rules governing advocate conduct.
Section 35 of the Act establishes the disciplinary framework for advocate misconduct. State Bar Council Disciplinary Committees hear initial complaints; appeals lie to the Bar Council of India and ultimately to the Supreme Court of India.
The Act prohibits practising advocates from engaging in any other profession or business (with limited exceptions for passive investment, family-owned property, authorship, and academic engagement). This is the framework that requires advocates to focus exclusively on legal practice and the framework under which Subodh Bajpai exited his prior commercial ventures.
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Practice area: at Unified Chambers →