Bar Council of India

Bar Council of India
 

News: The Bar Council of India (BCI) has notified the Rules for Registration and Regulation of Foreign Lawyers and Foreign Law Firms in India, 2022.
 

About BCI:
 The Bar Council of India (est. 1961; HQ: New Delhi) is a statutory body established under section 4 of the Advocates Act 1961 that regulates legal practice and legal education in India.
 Its members are elected from amongst the lawyers in India and as such represents the Indian bar.
 

What are the new rules?
 It allows foreign lawyers and law firms to practice in India but not appear in court.
 Eligibility - The lawyer or firm should be entitled to practice law in their home countries
 Limitations - They cannot practice Indian law in any form or before any court of law, tribunal, board, or any other authority legally entitled to record evidence on oath.
 Permission - They are only permitted to practice transactional work/corporate work (such as joint ventures, mergers and acquisitions, IPR), can advise clients on foreign law, international law and international arbitration matters in India.
 Section 29 of the Advocates Act, states that only advocates enrolled with BCI can practise law.
 

How will it help?
 It will help attract foreign direct investment and make India a hub of international commercial arbitration. The new rules enable foreign lawyers and law firms to register with the BCI to practice in India if they are. It will further incentivize Legal Process Outsourcing (LPOs) in India.