1923: Barristers of England had come to occupy a predominant position in the legal profession. The Government of India in 1923 appointed the Indian Bar Committee, popularly known as the Chamier Committee to address the existing disparities in the Legal profession The Committee in its report stated that it was not practical at that time to organize the Bar on an all-India basis. However, the Committee suggested the establishment of Bar Council for each of the High Courts. The Committee suggested that a Bar Council should have power to make rules in matters such as qualifications and admission of persons to be Advocates of the concerned High Court, legal education, discipline and professional conduct of Advocates, terms on which Advocates of another High Court could appear occasionally in the concerned High Court or any other matter prescribed by the High Court.
• 1926: Giving effect to the Chamier Committee recommendations, the Central Legislature enacted the Indian Bar Councils Act, 1926. The Act was to provide for the constitution and incorporation of Bar Councils, to confer powers and impose duties on the Bar Councils and to consolidate the regulations pertaining to the legal profession. The Bar Councils could, with the consent of the High Court, make rules for: a) the rights and duties of Advocates of High Court and professional conduct; and b) legal education and examinations.
Advovates Act,1961 The Advocates Act also established an All India Bar Council for the first time, with the Attorney-General and Solicitor General of India as ex- officie members of the Bar Council. The All India Bar Council has one member elected to it by each State Bar Council and it elects its own Chairman and Vice Chairman. The Act has created a State Bar Council in each State with the Advocate General of the State as an ex- office member, and 15- 25 Advocates elected for a ** of five years. The State Council'* main The Advocates Act, 1961 functions include: admitting law graduates on its Roll, determining cases of misconduct against Advocates on the Roll and organizing legal aid, among other functions. Application for enrolment is therefore made to the State Bar Council. The Bar Council of India regulates the content, syllabus, duration of the law degree, subject to which every University can lay down its own provisions. The Council has a Legal Education Committee for this purpose. State Council rules need to be approved by the Bar Council, however the Central Government has overriding power to make rules.
