BCI mandates strict rules on social media, ethics for lawyers, students

The Bar Council of India has directed all State Bar Councils and law colleges to immediately implement its circular on social media use, digital ethics, and professional conduct for advocates, law students, and interns, warning it is not a routine advisory.

The Bar Council of India (BCI) has directed all State Bar Councils and Centres of Legal Education to immediately implement its circular laying down rules on social media use, digital ethics, court decorum, confidentiality and professional conduct for advocates, law students and interns.

Scope of the BCI Circular

In a communication issued on July 17, 2026, the BCI said the circular should not be treated as a routine advisory. It directed all concerned institutions to ensure that its contents are brought to the notice of every advocate, student and other stakeholders through effective awareness measures. The circular deals with issues such as misuse of court premises and judicial proceedings, sharing of live-streamed court proceedings, misleading legal content, disclosure of client-related material, misuse of professional identity and AI-generated, deepfake, voice-cloned and other manipulated content.

Directives for Legal Education Centres

The BCI has asked all law colleges and universities to circulate the circular among faculty members, students, interns and staff, hold orientation programmes explaining the rules, obtain undertakings from students at the time of admission and before internships, and appoint nodal officers to monitor compliance. It has clarified that simply uploading the circular on a website or forwarding it on messaging groups will not be enough.

Mandates for State Bar Councils

State Bar Councils have been directed to send the circular to every enrolled advocate and recognised Bar Association in their jurisdiction. They have also been asked to ensure that Bar Associations display the circular prominently, create systems for receiving complaints, appoint Digital Ethics Committees or nodal officers, and submit implementation reports.

Implementation Guidelines and Safeguards

The BCI said the implementation should be educational and preventive, and should follow the Advocates Act, the Bar Council of India Rules and principles of natural justice. It also clarified that the circular should not be used to settle personal scores, suppress lawful criticism or act on unverified allegations. The communication ends by stating that the Bar Council of India expects immediate and complete compliance with these directions. (ANI)

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