Two New Election Tribunals, Six-Week Disposal Target, ₹30,000 Filing Fee: BCI Acts on Supreme Court Directions for Bar Council Election Disputes

On 25 May 2026, the Bar Council of India (BCI) notified the constitution of two new Election Tribunals to ensure expeditious resolution of election-related disputes within the legal profession.

Background:

On May 18, 2026, in Savita Devi v. Union of India W.P. (C) No. 589 of 2026, the Supreme Court, comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi, found the existing dispute-resolution mechanism for State Bar Council elections inadequate and directed the constitution of additional Election Tribunals, while stressing the need for expeditious disposal of election disputes to uphold the integrity of the electoral process within Bar Councils.

Key Highlights of New Election Tribunals:

1. On 25 May 2026, in compliance with the Supreme Court’s directions, the BCI notified the constitution of two new Election Tribunals, as under:

   Election Tribunal I:

   • Justice Deepak Gupta (Former Judge, SC) — Chairperson

   • Justice Dhiraj Singh Thakur (Former Chief Justice, Andhra Pradesh HC) — Member

   • Ms. Mahalakshmi Pavani (Senior Advocate) — Member

Election Tribunal II:

• Justice Hima Kohli (Former Judge, SC) — Chairperson

• Justice Tarlok Singh Chauhan (Former Chief Justice, Jharkhand HC) — Member

• Ms. Kaveeta Wadia (Senior Advocate) — Member

2. These Tribunals are tasked with adjudicating disputes arising from the State Bar Council elections conducted in 2026.

3. The Tribunals will deal with election petitions challenging:

   • Election results

   • Validity of elected candidates

   • Entire election processes, where necessary

4. Petitions must be filed within 30 days of the declaration of results, or within 15 days from the notification date in cases where results were declared earlier.

5. All election petitions must be filed before the Secretary of the BCI, who will act as the Registrar for the tribunals.

6. The BCI will then allocate cases to the appropriate tribunal based on factors such as nature of the dispute, workload, and convenience.

7. To ensure procedural discipline and seriousness of claims, a mandatory fee will be charged as follows:

   • ₹30,000 for election petitions

   • ₹5,000 for other complaints.

8. A key feature of the new framework is its emphasis on speed. The tribunals are expected to dispose of cases within six weeks, as far as practicable. To achieve this, the tribunals are empowered to:

   • Regulate their own procedures

   • Limit unnecessary adjournments

   • Call for records and documents

   • Decide preliminary issues promptly

9. The notification clarifies that the creation of new tribunals will not affect pending cases, which will continue before their currently assigned tribunals unless reassigned by the BCI for administrative reasons.

10. The Supreme Court also directed all State Bar Councils to:

    • Preserve election records

    • Cooperate fully with tribunals

    • Provide all necessary documents, including ballots and result sheets

Also Read: How Bar Council Elections and India’s Data Protection Law Interact

[BCI State Bar Council Elections Notification, published on 25-5-2026]

[State Bar Council Elections Order, dt 18-5-2026]