NicholasPrentice at 16:51, 4 January 2025

2025-01-04T16:51:16Z

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{{Short description|Representative body for Andhra Pradesh lawyers}}
{{Infobox government agency
| agency_name = Bar Council of Andhra Pradesh
| type = Statutory body
| nativename_r =
| formed = {{start date and age|1961}}
| headquarters = AMARAVATI
| chief1_name = Sri Rama Rao, Ghanta<ref name="Andhra Bar Ref5">{{cite news |title=Justice being delivered despite pandemic, says Andhra Pradesh High Court Chief Justice |url=https://www.thehansindia.com/andhra-pradesh/justice-being-delivered-despite-pandemic-says-andhra-pradesh-high-court-chief-justice-701762?infinitescroll=1 |access-date=6 September 2021 |publisher=The Hans India |date=15 August 2021 |language=en}}</ref>
| chief1_position = Chairman
| chief2_name = Sri Rama Jogeswara Rao, Kirti
| chief2_position = Vice Chairman
| website = https://barcouncilap.org/about-us/
}}

'''Bar Council of Andhra Pradesh''' is the regulatory and statutory representative body for [[lawyers]] practicing law in the state of [[Andhra Pradesh]]. It was constituted as per the mandatory requirement as per [[Advocates Act, 1961]] and [[Bar Council of India]]. In March 1953, the 'All India Bar Committee', headed by S. R. Das, submitted a report which proposed the creation of a bar council for each state and an all-India bar council as an apex body. Members of the Bar Council are elected from among members enrolled and practicing as lawyers in the state of Andhra Pradesh and they represent the state in Bar Council of India meetings. Bar Council of a place designs standards of [[professional conduct]] to be followed by members, and designs [[etiquette]]s and has the power to enforce disciplinary guidelines over the members of bar council.

== History ==

Bar Council of Andhra Pradesh was formed as per the requirement of Section 3 of Advocates Act, 1961 which mandates for each state of India to have its Bar Council. Accordingly, in July 2018, the Andhra Pradesh State Bar Council was formed.<ref name="Andhra Bar Ref1">{{cite news |last1=Ishaqui |first1=S. A. |title=Telangana, Andhra Pradesh to have new Bar Councils in July |url=https://www.deccanchronicle.com/nation/current-affairs/210518/telangana-andhra-pradesh-to-have-new-bar-councils-in-july.html |access-date=3 September 2021 |publisher=Deccan Chronicle |date=21 May 2018 |language=en}}</ref> As per the guidelines the legal profession in India and the standards of legal education would be regulated by All India Bar Council. The [[Law Commission of India]] was assigned the job of assembling a report on judicial administration reforms.

In July 2021, the state Bar Council along with Bar Councils of other Southern states of India had requested the Vice-president [[M. Venkaiah Naidu|Mr Venkaiah Naidu]] and Supreme Court Chief Justice [[N. V. Ramana|Hon. N. V. Ramana]] for the setting up of separate bench for Southern India.<ref name="Andhra Bar Ref2">{{cite news |title=Plea to set up SC bench in south |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Hyderabad/plea-to-set-up-sc-bench-in-south/article35550291.ece |access-date=3 September 2021 |publisher=The Hindu |date=26 July 2021 |language=en-IN}}</ref><ref name="Andhra Bar Ref3">{{cite news |last1=Mutha |first1=Sagar Kumar |title=Bar councils of five states call for an SC bench in south India {{!}} India News - Times of India |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/bar-councils-of-five-states-call-for-an-sc-bench-in-south-india/articleshow/80440609.cms |access-date=3 September 2021 |publisher=The Times of India |date=25 January 2021 |language=en}}</ref>

== Functions ==

Section 7 of the Advocates Act, 1961 lays down the Bar Council's regulatory and representative mandate.<ref name="Andhra Bar Ref1" /> Bar Councils of each place has following functions:<ref name="Andhra Bar Ref10" />

#Facilitating the election with rules for members to get elected and managing the Bar Council.
#Designing the professional behaviours and code to be followed by [[advocate]]s who are its members..
#Laying down guidelines for disciplinary committees and other committees formed by it.
#Protecting the advocate members rights, benefits, and safeguarding their interests.
#Designing, promoting and supporting [[law reform]] as per changing circumstances.
#Handling and resolving other issues or any matter placed before it by its members in ad hoc situations.
#Designing and promoting legal education in country and states.
#Designing and organising [[seminar]]s on wide legal topics in the interest of members by reputed [[jurist]]s and publishing them in journals and magazines of legal circles and other sources of media.
#Facilitating [[legal aid]] to those who can't afford it.
#Ensuring that guidelines laid in various legal forums are followed by members.

In 2020, as [[COVID-19|COVID]] relief, the Andhra Pradesh Bar Council offered financial assistance to its members and asked the needful members to apply online.<ref name="Andhra Bar Ref6">{{cite news |title=COVID relief: Bar Council invites online applications from advocates |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/andhra-pradesh/covid-relief-bar-council-invites-online-applications-from-advocates/article31272229.ece |access-date=6 September 2021 |publisher=The Hindu |date=6 April 2020 |language=en-IN}}</ref>

== Constitution ==

The council elects its own chairman and vice-chairman for a period of two years from amongst its members.<ref name="Andhra Bar Ref7">{{cite news |last1=Suryam |first1=Areeb Uddin Ahmed, Shagun |title=Men's clubs that decide for everybody? Only 2.04% of State Bar Council representatives across India are women |url=https://www.barandbench.com/columns/only-204-of-state-bar-council-representatives-across-india-are-women |access-date=6 September 2021 |publisher=Bar and Bench - Indian Legal news |date=21 July 2021 |language=en}}</ref> Assisted by the various committees of the council, the chairman acts as the chief executive and director of the council.<ref name="Andhra Bar Ref1" /> Voting rights in elections are available only for advocates having Certificate of Practice. Till 2018, there were around 97,600 enrolled as members of the State Bar Council. As per the Advocates Act, the bar council of the state should have 25 members in case the members on roll exceeds 10000, the same has been followed by Andhra Pradesh Bar Council.<ref name="Andhra Bar Ref10">{{cite web |title=Welcome to Bar Council of India |url=http://103.25.172.19/bar-council/statebarcouncil-ap.php |website=103.25.172.19/bar-council/statebarcouncil-ap.php |access-date=6 September 2021}}</ref>

==Enrollment of advocates==

Graduates having a law degree from recognised universities permitted to impart legal education are admitted as advocates in Andhra Pradesh Bar Council.<ref name="Andhra Bar Ref4">{{cite news |title=Any procedure in place for online enrollment of law grads, Delhi HC asks Bar Council of Delhi |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/education/any-procedure-in-place-for-online-enrollment-of-law-grads-hc-asks-bcd/story-7g6f5reL3joGTgT9fhTU0J.html |access-date=3 September 2021 |publisher=Hindustan Times |date=4 December 2020 |language=en}}</ref> Law graduates can enroll online for Andhra Pradesh Bar Council. State bar councils are empowered by Advocates Act, 1961 to frame rules according to their convenience for enrolling advocates in council. Enrollment committee formed by Councils will scrutinise a prospective member's application. Enrolled advocates of any bar council in state are considered as eligible to write the All India Bar Examination conducted by Bar Council of India. After clearing the exam, he is certified by Bar Council of India and issued 'Certificate of Enrolment', which facilitates him to practice the profession of law in any High Court based in India and lower courts of the country, as an advocate. Advocates are required to qualify in the exam known as "Supreme Court Advocate on Record Examination" which is conducted by the Supreme Court exclusively to practice in the Supreme Court of Country.

== See also ==

* [[Bar Council of Telangana]]

== References ==

{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
* [http://barcouncilap.org// official website]


[[Category:India law-related lists]]
[[Category:Law commissions]]
[[Category:Legal organisations based in India]]

Bar Council of Andhra Pradesh - Revision history

NicholasPrentice at 16:51, 4 January 2025