The Bar Council of India asked the West Bengal Bar Council to submit details about Mamata Banerjee’s professional status after she appeared in lawyer’s robes at the Calcutta High Court. The request followed her presence during Thursday’s proceedings.
The Bar Council of India (BCI) asked the West Bengal Bar Council to provide details about Mamata Banerjee’s professional status as a lawyer after the former chief minister appeared before the Calcutta High Court in lawyer’s robes on Thursday.
In its statement, the BCI said,
“Ms. Mamata Banerjee served as Chief Minister of West Bengal from 2011 to 2026. Having regard to the constitutional public office held by her during the said period, and without expressing any opinion at this stage on the permissibility or otherwise of such appearance, the Bar Council of India requires the factual status of her enrolment, practice, suspension, if any, and resumption, if any, to be verified from your records,”.
The BCI also set out nine specific points for the state bar council to answer by May 16, 2016:
i. Her enrolment number, if she was enrolled with the State Bar Council of West Bengal.
ii. The date of her enrolment with the State Bar Council of West Bengal.
iii. Whether her name currently remains on the State Roll of Advocates maintained by the State Bar Council of West Bengal.
iv. Whether she provided any intimation at any time during her tenure as chief minister regarding voluntary suspension/suspension of practice/cessation from practice.
v. If such an intimation was made, the date it was received by the State Bar Council, along with a copy of the relevant application/intimation and any order/endorsement, if applicable.
vi. Whether any application/intimation for resumption of practice was submitted after that.
vii. If so, the date of the resumption application/intimation and whether the State Bar Council accepted it/took it on record.
viii. Whether the State Bar Council has any Certificate of Practice or other document reflecting her practice status, and whether it is currently valid/active/suspended or otherwise.
ix. Whether any other record, communication, order, entry, or related document exists concerning her right to practise during or after her tenure as chief minister.
The BCI further directed that the information must be verified strictly using contemporaneous official records held by the West Bengal State Bar Council, including enrolment registers, State Roll records, Certificate of Practice documents, inward registers, and records concerning suspension or resumption of practice along with relevant file notings or orders.
It also sought certified copies of all relevant documents, authenticated by the Secretary of the State Bar Council, including page references, entry dates, inward diary numbers, and details about custody of the original records.
The BCI asked the State Bar Council to submit certified copies of documents connected to her enrolment, suspension/cessation, and resumption of practice, as well as related correspondence files, inward registers, and any other relevant records.
It also required the Secretary to certify that the copies submitted are true copies of the original records maintained in the ordinary course of official business, and that the original documents have been preserved for inspection, if needed.
Until the reply is received, the BCI ordered that all original records related to the matter be preserved in their present form and that no alteration, correction, overwriting, interpolation or reconstruction be carried out, except in accordance with law and after informing the Bar Council of India.
The State Bar Council has been instructed to respond within two days of receiving the letter.
Today, Former West Bengal chief minister and Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Mamata Banerjee appeared before the Calcutta High Court in connection with a public interest litigation (PIL) alleging post-election violence in the state.
Banerjee, who completed her law degree from Jogesh Chandra College of Law in 1982, also told the court that it was her first appearance before the High Court and added that she was contesting the matter in her capacity as a lawyer.
Chaotic scenes erupted at the Calcutta High Court afternoon after former West Bengal chief minister and TMC president Mamata Banerjee allegedly faced “thief slogans” from a group of lawyers as she tried to leave the premises following a hearing related to post-poll violence.
TMC leader and advocate Kalyan Banerjee, who accompanied her, claimed lawyers influenced by the BJP attempted to heckle Banerjee.
He said the former chief minister’s legal team had to work hard to ensure her safe departure.