BCI lays down social media norms for law students, advocates
Bar Council of India circular tightens social-media rules for advocates, law students, and legal interns
- The Bar Council of India regulates the legal profession in India and has issued a circular on social-media conduct for legal professionals and students.
- The circular prohibits courtroom sensationalism, misleading online legal publicity, and synthetic media that can distort legal proceedings or professional identity.
What happened
The Bar Council of India issued a circular on July 17 setting social-media rules for advocates, law students, and legal interns. The circular treats social-media conduct as a matter of professional discipline, not merely personal expression.
The Bar Council of India has prohibited content that sensationalises court proceedings, hearings, chambers, or professional work. It has also barred reels, videos, and promotional photographs inside courts, court corridors, bar rooms, chambers, or judicial buildings when such material undermines the dignity of the legal process.
The Bar Council of India circular can be framed as a governance and ethics question on how the Bar Council of India can regulate professional conduct without chilling legitimate legal education, public legal awareness, or fair reporting from court proceedings. The topic also connects legal ethics, institutional dignity, confidentiality, and emerging risks from synthetic media.
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