The Bar Council of India has informed the Supreme Court that law graduates who have been out of practise for more than five years and wish to return to advocacy must pass the All India Bar Examination.
The bar body stated in an affidavit filed in the Supreme Court that if a person takes up a job that has nothing to do with legal or judicial matters, that person will have to reappear for the AIBE exam.
“If a person remains in service with no connection/relationship with legal or judicial matters,” the affidavit stated, “then such candidate shall be required to clear the AIBE again if he/she decides to get his/her licence to practise revived after remaining in the job for more than five years from the date of publication of his/her AIBE result.”
The Supreme Court was hearing an appeal filed by the BCI challenging a decision of the Gujarat High Court allowing people with other jobs to enroll as advocates without resigning.