BCI orders removal of online lawyer ads

NEW DELHI: The Bar Council of India (BCI) has issued a circular to all State Bar Councils mandating disciplinary action against lawyers who advertise their services through online platforms. This move follows a landmark judgment by the Madras HC in Writ Petition No. 31281 of 2019, filed by P.N. Vignesh. The judgment addressed the issue of advocates soliciting work through platforms like Quikr, Sulekha, and Justdial, and deemed such practices as violations of the BCI Rules. Justice S.M. Subramaniam, who delivered the verdict, emphasised that “Legal service is neither a job nor a business. Business is purely motivated by profit motives. But in law, the major part is service to society.”

Key points considered by the court included the violation of BCI rules by online platforms, the permissibility of lawyers advertising and soliciting work, the role of online intermediaries, and the applicability of safe harbour provisions under Section 79 of the Information Technology Act.

Justice Subramaniam emphasised that ranking or rating lawyers is unprecedented and undermines professional integrity. The BCI now mandates disciplinary actions against advocates advertising on online platforms and complaints against service providers facilitating such ads.

They require removal of such ads within four weeks, in accordance with Rule 36

of BCI.