Senior advocate & Rajya Sabha Member Dr. Abhishek Manu Singhvi and the Bar Council of India (BCI) have once again become determined. Recently, while speaking at a two-day conference organized by the American Bar Association (ABA), Singhvi had said such things, for which he now has to give an explanation to the BCI.

Singhvi demanded a National Assessment Body, independent of BCI, to monitor legal education in the country. Apart from this, as another suggestion, he had also talked about a separate Broad-Based Group, in which educationists should be included.

BCI is an autonomous body. It looks after the regulation of legal profession and education in India. No legal entity can be established without the approval of BCI. Under the Advocates Act, the BCI is the appellate body which hears appeals against the decisions taken by the State Bar Councils in disciplinary proceedings against advocates. Singhvi pointed to the "significant responsibilities" of the BCI, including law reform, disciplining lawyers, legal education and the vicissitudes of electoral politics.

The Bar Council of India had lodged a strong objection to Singhvi's statement. Also refused to accept any of his suggestions. BCI President Manan Kumar Mishra, in a statement signed by him, termed Singhvi's statement as baseless and malicious with "hidden agenda and ulterior motive". The BCI had also said that the senior advocate's view that the legal profession should be regulated by a few academicians was "unfortunate". The statement further said that Singhvi made this suggestion in order to "sell Indian legal education in the hands of some so-called managers".

After BCI's displeasure, Singhvi is saying that his statement was distorted by the media. Singhvi says that during his speech, he did not question the statutory powers of the Bar Council of India (BCI) to regulate legal education and the entire profession in the country.

Singhvi said “It is unfortunate that my speech was taken completely out of context and wrongly quoted in the media. On the same basis, BCI has made certain observations. I wish someone had duly heard my speech before making these inappropriate comments.”

The senior advocate said that his 20-minute address focused on the wider challenges of legal education in the country.

He said “As a senior member of the Bar, I fully recognize and appreciate the statutory powers, duties, responsibilities and obligations of the Bar Council of India to regulate legal education and the legal profession. BCI has well established powers as a statutory regulator. I had no intention or thought to question it, nor have I actually done so."