Recognizing the need for greater participation from the Indian legal community in the democratic process, the Bar Council of India has partnered with PRS Legislative Research, an independent research initiative and a unit of the Centre for Policy and Research, to facilitate feedback from advocates, legal academia, law students, retired judges and concerned citizens on proposed legislation.

The Bar Council of India will will create mechanisms on its website to allow an open and well reasoned debate about all issues pertaining to pending legislation, using analysis from PRS Legislative Research. To start off, the Bar Council of India will invite comments from stakeholders on the the Foreign Educational Institutions (Regulation of Entry and Operations) Bill, 2010; the National Accreditation Regulatory Authority for Higher Educational Institutions Bill, 2010; the National Commission for Higher Education and Research Bill, 2010; the Education Tribunals Bill, 2010 and the proposed amendments to the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996.

The Bar Council of India will also organise events to discuss the issues in pending legislation. PRS will be invited to share its research and analysis and also explain to participants the key issues in the bill being debated.

The Bar Council of India website will shortly be changed to reflect the above.

Notes for Editors:

The Bar Council of India is a statutory body created by Parliament to regulate and represent the Indian bar. It performs the regulatory function by prescribing standards of professional conduct and etiquette and by exercising disciplinary jurisdiction over the bar. It also sets standards for legal education and grants recognition to Universities whose degree in law will serve as qualification for enrolment as an advocate.

PRS Legislative Research seeks to strengthen the legislative process by making it better informed, more transparent and participatory. It was founded in 2005 as an independent research initiative. PRS works with Members of Parliament (MPs) across party lines to provide research support on legislative and policy issues.