Archive · 14 Aug 2026
CJI defends NALSAR students' protest right, slams Bar Council ban
Some law students in India said they did not want the country's top judge, the Chief Justice of India, at their graduation ceremony.
They were upset because they thought he had not taken seriously reports about police being rough with people protesting peacefully.
A group called the Bar Council of India, which decides who can become a lawyer, made a rule stopping these students from becoming lawyers.
Many people were angry about this rule on social media, and within a few hours the Bar Council took it back.
The Chief Justice himself then said in court that students have the right to protest and that the Bar Council should not interfere.
He said the matter was a conversation between him and the students.
The court said no student or teacher should be punished because of the dispute.
The Bar Council said most of the students had done nothing wrong, but it still wants to look into what happened.
The court will talk about this again in two weeks, so the story is still going on.
The Supreme Court, led by Chief Justice Surya Kant, said students have a right to protest and the Bar Council of India (BCI) has no business interfering in the matter.
The BCI barred all 2026 batch graduates of NALSAR University of Law from enrolling as advocates on August 13, but withdrew the order within hours after a social media uproar.
The ban followed a student campaign against CJI Kant being invited as convocation chief guest, over his remarks during a hearing on alleged police action during the Jantar Mantar protest.
The court issued notice to the BCI, directed that no punitive action be taken against students or faculty, and posted the matter for hearing after two weeks.
The BCI said the 'vast majority' of students were innocent, but said it will continue its inquiry and await a report from NALSAR's Vice-Chancellor.
- Who
- Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and a Supreme Court bench (Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana), the Bar Council of India (BCI) chaired by Manan Kumar Mishra, and 2026 batch students of NALSAR University of Law in Hyderabad.
- What
- The Supreme Court criticised the BCI's circular barring NALSAR's 2026 batch graduates from enrolling as advocates, affirmed the students' right to protest, and directed no punitive action; the BCI had already withdrawn the ban.
- When
- The BCI issued the enrolment ban and withdrew it on August 13, 2026; the Supreme Court hearing took place on Friday, with the story reported as developing on August 14, 2026.
- Where
- India — Supreme Court in New Delhi, NALSAR University of Law in Hyderabad, and Jantar Mantar in Delhi where the earlier protest was held.
- Why
- Students objected to CJI Surya Kant being invited as convocation chief guest, citing his remarks during a hearing on alleged police action against protesters at Jantar Mantar; the BCI's enrolment ban prompted the court's intervention.
Students' side
Bar Council of India
Penalising the whole batch
Students' side
Cockroach Janata Party leader Saurav Das said students 'cannot be collectively penalised for expressing dissent over a ceremonial invitation', and the Supreme Court affirmed that students have a right to protest lawfully, even if they are wrong.
Bar Council of India
The BCI initially barred all NALSAR 2026 graduates from enrolment pending an inquiry into an alleged 'organised campaign' against CJI Kant's convocation invitation, later modifying this after concluding the 'vast majority' of students were innocent.
BCI's role in university affairs
Students' side
CJI Surya Kant called the intervention absolutely uncalled for — 'It's a dialogue between me and students. Who are they (BCI) to interfere?' — and Senior Advocate K Parameshwar said the regulator has no business in university matters.
Bar Council of India
The BCI, as the regulator of legal education, said it could not be a mute spectator to alleged 'groupism and dirty politics' among academic staff that it said misled and instigated the students.
Continuing the inquiry
Students' side
NALSAR Vice-Chancellor Professor Srikrishna Deva Rao said the university would first examine whether the BCI's inquiry is permissible under its existing rules and governance framework.
Bar Council of India
The BCI said it still awaits an inquiry report from the Vice-Chancellor before deciding whether any further action is required, while stressing that no student should face losses in securing judicial internships.
- Court
- Supreme Court of India
- Bench
- CJI Surya Kant with Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana
- Regulatory body
- Bar Council of India (BCI)
- BCI chairperson
- Manan Kumar Mishra
- Affected institution
- NALSAR University of Law, Hyderabad
- Affected cohort
- 2026 batch graduates
- Ban issued and withdrawn
- August 13, 2026 (same day)
- Students objecting to invite
- Around 70 from the 2026 batch; about 380 from later batches later joined
Sources
SC Slams BCI Circular Blocking NALSAR 2026 Graduates’ Enrolment
NALSAR row: CJI bats for students’ right to protest, wants Bar Council to revoke ban
'BCI has no business, who are they...': CJI Kant slams bar body for barring NALSAR students, defends their right to protest
'Who are they to…’: CJI Surya Kant criticises Manan Mishra — A timeline of BCI vs NALSAR row
