SUMIT SHARMA
JAMMU: The Jammu and Kashmir High Court Bar Association, Jammu (JKHCBAJ), has initiated a consultation process to examine concerns surrounding the enforcement of the All India Bar Examination (AIBE) and Certificate of Practice (COP) requirements, setting the stage for representations to the Chief Justice of the High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh, Justice Pushpendra Singh Bhati, and Bar Council of India (BCI) Chairman Manan Kumar Mishra.
The Association has constituted a special committee to collect views, suggestions and representations from advocates on the issue, signalling an effort to build a consolidated position before taking up the matter with the judiciary’s administrative leadership and the national regulatory body.
In an official notice released on Wednesday, October 14, 2026, Senior Advocate and JKHCBAJ President K. Nirmal Kotwal notified the members that a dedicated committee has been set up to collect, examine, and consolidate views regarding the operational and legal implications of the examination mandate.
“The committee has been constituted to collect views and valuable opinions on the AIBE issue. The matter will subsequently be taken up with the Chairman of the Bar Council of India (BCI) and the Hon’ble Chief Justice of the High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh,” the President stated in the notice.
The move comes on the heels of a notification issued on October 10, 2026, by Registrar General M.K. Sharma of the High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh. Following a Full Court resolution passed on October 8 approving recommendations from its Rules Committee, the High Court made it mandatory for all advocates enrolled across J&K and Ladakh from the academic year 2009-2010 onwards to qualify for the AIBE to remain entitled to practice law under Chapter IV of the Advocates Act, 1961.
Under Rules 9, 10, and 11 of Chapter III, Part VI of the Bar Council of India Rules, advocates must submit their Certificate of Practice (COP) to continue active practice. While AIBE was national policy for law graduates enrolling after 2009–10, its formal compliance was recently enforced across the Union Territories.
The All India Bar Examination is conducted by the Bar Council of India to assess the basic legal knowledge and professional competence of law graduates seeking to practise law.
The examination was introduced following the BCI’s decision in 2010 and forms part of the regulatory framework governing entry into legal practice. Candidates who qualify receive a Certificate of Practice in accordance with the applicable rules.
The examination covers key areas of law and is intended to maintain professional standards across the legal fraternity.
The implementation of these requirements in Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh has placed the applicable enrolment and certification provisions in focus, particularly for advocates who fall within the categories covered by the High Court’s directions.
