BCD Withdraws Mandatory Aadhaar, Voter ID with NCR Address for Law Graduates Enrolment

 The Bar Council of Delhi (BCD) informed the Delhi High Court on Monday that it has retracted its notification mandating Aadhaar and Voter Identity Card with a Delhi-NCR address for enrolment.

A Bench comprising of Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Sanjeev Narula directed the BCD to formally communicate this decision within a span of four weeks.

The division bench was hearing a petition filed by Advocate Rajani Kumari, hailing from Bihar and a law graduate of Delhi University. The petition challenged the BCD’s notification, alleging it to be arbitrary and discriminatory.

The notification, dated April 13, stipulated that advocates aspiring for enrolment with the BCD must present their Aadhaar and Voter ID cards showcasing either Delhi or the NCR as their residential locale. The notification further highlighted that fresh law graduates aiming to enroll in the national capital were also required to compulsorily attach copies of their Aadhaar and Voter ID cards, bearing an address within Delhi/NCR. It was underscored that all forthcoming enrollments would be contingent upon the submission of these documents.

The plea filed through Advocate Lalit Kumar, Advocate Shashank Upadhyay and Advocate Mukesh contended that the BCD’s decision would obstruct law graduates migrating to Delhi from diverse regions of the nation in search of better professional opportunities from practicing law.