Bar Council Of Maharashtra And Goa Decides To Do Away With Police Verification Required For Enrolling As An Advocate

The Bar Council of Maharashtra and Goa has decided that police verification will no longer be required for enrolling as an advocate in the States of Goa and Maharashtra.

Avinash Janardhan Bhide, Chairman, Bar Council of Maharashtra and Goa spoke to Live Law and confirmed that such a resolution has been passed.

The State Bar Council in its General Body Meeting on September 15, 2019 considered a representation by Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) stating that various difficulties arise due to the mandatory requirement of police verification.

ABVP addressed a letter to Advocate Parijat Pande, member of the State Bar Council and stated in the letter that a mandatory requirement for police verification puts a lot mental and financial strain on law students who are fresh out of college.

After holding a discussion on the said topic, the members unanimously decided to pass the resolution, it states-

"It is resolved that considering the provisions of Section 24 of the Advocates Act 1961 and also considering the rules passed by State Bar Council of Maharashtra and Goa, and also considering the law laid down in the case of V Sudheer vs State Bar Council of India and Ors giving complete competence and authority to State Bar Council under Section 6 of the Advocates Act, the compulsion of police verification before enrolment to the law graduates should not be bound by State Bar Council."

The resolution further states that an affidavit with details of criminal prosecution or cases against the candidates should be sufficient compliance for verification of criminal record of the law graduates desirous of enrolling as an Advocate upon the State Bar Council.