Supreme Court judge Justice B.V. Nagarathna said it is not a good sign if a Bar Council, whether at the Central or State level, loses the respect of its members.

The top court judge was speaking at the 13th convocation of National Law University Delhi in the national capital on Saturday (August 29, 2026).

After public outrage

Justice Nagarathna’s words gain added resonance following recent public outrage and pushback from the legal fraternity over an aborted attempt by the Bar Council of India (BCI) and its long-standing chairperson and senior advocate Manan Kumar Mishra to restrict the 2026 graduating batch of NALSAR from professional enrolment.

The students had objected to inviting Chief Justice of India Surya Kant as chief guest for the convocation reportedly taking offence to his oral remarks peppered with terms like ‘cockroaches’ and ‘parasites’ in the court room.

However, even Chief Justice Kant took strong exception to the BCI’s intervention, calling it an “unwarranted interference”. The CJI had said the BCI had no business, whatsoever, to come between him and NALSAR students who were only exercising their right to protest.

Addressing the audience of graduating students, faculty and guests, Justice Nagarathna said: “The Bar Councils, whether the Central or the States, must introspect on their role and importance in upholding professional ethics, morality and professional competence. When a Bar Council does not earn the respect of its members, it is not a good sign for the legal profession.”

Truly liberal pursuit

The judge said the legal profession was a liberal pursuit in the truest sense of the word.

“Its institutions — courts, tribunals, the Bar, law schools — are among the places in which disagreements can have a civilised implication,” she said.

The Supreme Court judge underscored the importance of legal professionals safeguarding their profession from outside pulls, pressures and preferences.

She said the responsibility to preserve the autonomy of the legal profession lies with the lawyers.

“The independence of the Bar is not an entitlement given to lawyers for their own benefit. It exists because a constitutional democracy requires a body of professionals who can advise, argue, challenge and represent without having to ask the permission of the State, the market, or even their own clients before doing so. Lawyers are safety valves of democracies,” Justice Nagarathna said.

Lawyers should adapt

The judge stressed on the importance of adaptability for lawyers of the 21st century.

“You are entering a profession that must constantly adapt and respond to a changing reality. The velocity of change around us is unprecedented — technological advancements, environmental crises, social upheavals, geopolitical shifts, and transformations in the way we live, work, and think. These are not theoretical conundrums. They go to the heart of what kind of society we want to live in — and what role the law should play in shaping it,” she said.