The Bar Council of Delhi has officially released the voter list eligibility criteria for lawyers who have qualified the All-India Bar Examination. This announcement comes ahead of the state council elections scheduled for February 2026.
Clear Guidelines for Voting Rights
According to the notice issued on January 14, advocates must meet specific conditions to participate in the electoral process. Lawyers who were provisionally enrolled with the Bar Council of Delhi and have now passed the All-India Bar Examination can vote. However, they must have submitted their verification forms through the bar council web portal on or before November 30, 2025.
Even candidates whose AIBE results were initially marked as "deferred" or "withheld" will find their names in the voters' list if they have since qualified. The council will include these advocates in the final electoral roll for the upcoming elections.
Important Exclusions
The notice makes it clear that lawyers who applied for name inclusion but failed to submit their verification forms by the November 30 deadline will not appear on the voters' list. This strict cutoff date ensures that only those who completed the necessary paperwork within the specified timeframe can participate in the democratic process.
Court Order Compliance
This notice follows a Delhi High Court order dated January 7. The court had restored voting rights to a batch of petitioners represented by senior advocate Vikas Pahwa. These lawyers faced exclusion from the electoral roll despite having valid law degrees and active legal practices.
The Supreme Court had established a special committee to supervise bar council elections. This committee examined representations from affected lawyers during a meeting on January 9. Their deliberations led to the current eligibility clarification.
Background of the Legal Challenge
The petitioners had enrolled with the state bar council and filed their verification forms properly. They appeared in courts, filed vakalatnamas, and argued cases regularly. Yet they found themselves arbitrarily excluded from voting rights simply because their AIBE results had not been declared at the relevant time.
Senior advocate Vikas Pahwa described this development as more than just an "electoral correction." He emphasized that the legal profession, which champions constitutional rights and democratic values, must first ensure these principles function within its own institutional framework.
The Bar Council of Delhi elections represent a crucial democratic exercise for the legal community. These elections determine leadership that will shape policies affecting thousands of practicing lawyers across the capital region.
