The Bar Council of India (BCI) has taken stringent action against counterfeit law degree cases following a troubling report from Chaudhary Charan Singh University, Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, which showed 13 instances of false degrees.

This problem appears to be widespread, with reports of hundreds more fake enrolments in Delhi, posing a serious threat to the legal system.

In a recent press release, the BCI also criticised certain educational institutions for disrupting verification processes, urging quick compliance with Supreme Court directions to preserve the legal profession's credibility, Law Trend reports.

According to Section 26(1) of the Advocates Act of 1961, failure to notify or remedy these fraudulent acts will be considered a major breach of duty, with severe legal consequences. The process of identifying and rejecting advocates with bogus degrees is currently underway.

However, the BCI emphasised that only it has the statutory authority to remove an advocate from the rolls based on a report from a state council.

The BCI pointed out that certain recognised and considered colleges are issuing law degrees in violation of regulations, reducing legal education to simply business transactions. The BCI urges that these abuses be immediately corrected to preserve the dignity and standards of legal education.

A High-Powered Committee appointed by the Supreme Court is reviewing the BCI's verification initiatives to ensure compliance with modified Rule 32, which governs practising advocates' involvement in elections.