Advocates Act, 1961 — back to Table of Contents
Section 24. Persons who may be admitted as advocates on a State roll
(1) A person is qualified for admission as an advocate on a State roll if he fulfils the following conditions:
- (a) he is a citizen of India (subject to reciprocal admission of foreign nationals whose country permits Indian citizens to practise there);
- (b) he has completed the age of twenty-one years;
- (c) he holds a law degree from a recognised Indian University (or, for earlier periods, from Universities as defined pre-Independence), or a recognised foreign law qualification, or is a barrister called to the Bar on or before 31 December 1976, or has passed the article clerk’s examination for enrolment as an attorney of the Bombay/Calcutta High Court, or holds another Bar Council of India-recognised foreign qualification;
- (e) he fulfils such other conditions as may be specified by the State Bar Council’s rules;
- (f) he has paid the prescribed stamp duty (if any) and enrolment fee — currently ₹600 to the State Bar Council and ₹150 to the Bar Council of India (reduced to ₹100 and ₹25 respectively for Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe applicants on production of the prescribed certificate).
(2) A vakil or pleader who is a law graduate may be admitted if he applies within two years of the appointed day and fulfils clauses (a), (b), (e) and (f) of sub-section (1).
(3) Persons with at least three years’ standing as a vakil, pleader or mukhtar (or otherwise entitled to practise before the appointed day, or advocates of a former Burma High Court before 1 April 1937, or persons entitled under Bar Council of India rules) may likewise be admitted on application and fulfilment of clauses (a), (b), (e) and (f).
Note: Sub-section (1)(d) and sub-section (4) were omitted by later amendments. The enrolment fee figures in clause (f) were last revised by the Advocates (Amendment) Act, 1993.
