The Bar Council of India has removed 107 fake advocates in Delhi from its rolls between 2019 and October this year as part of its ongoing effort to maintain the integrity of the legal community.

According to a statement issued by Bar Council secretary Srimanto Sen here on Monday, the action is aimed at eliminating fake advocates who no longer meet the standards of legal practice. By doing so, the Bar Council has tried to continue to protect the public’s trust and the legal system from unethical practices, Sen added.

Between 2019 and June 23, 2023, thousands of fake advocates were removed across the country after a thorough probe into their credentials and practices. These removals largely took place because of fake and forged certificates and misrepresentation during enrolment. Failure to actively practice law and non-compliance with the Bar Council’s verification processes also resulted in the removal of names.

The process is being conducted under Rule 32 of the Bar Council of India Certificate and Place of Practice (Verification) Rules, 2015.

A critical amendment to Rule 32 was notified on June 23, 2023. This amendment further strengthened the verification framework, allowing the Bar Council to more effectively and systematically identify and remove unqualified/ fake advocates from its rolls.

According to the regulatory body, the Supreme Court’s order in the Ajayinder Sangwan & Others Vs Bar Council of Delhi case in 2015 for Rule 32 to be implemented effectively allowed the Bar Council to identify and address cases of fraud and non-compliance at a much faster pace.

“The fake advocates are identified through continuous investigations conducted by the Bar Council and the high-powered committee constituted by the apex court in the case of Ajay Shanker Srivastava versus Bar Council of India & Anr… of 2023. Some of the cases relating to forgery had been under review before the rule change, while others were addressed after the amendment. These removals further underscore the Bar Council’s long-term commitment to ensuring that the roll of advocates includes only those who are genuinely qualified and actively practising,” the Bar Council said.

According to the Bar Council, many advocateshave pre-emptively surrendered their enrolmentcertificates because of meticulous scrutiny.