The Bar Council of India (BCI) has stayed its order of 24 July that had suspended, without notice or due process, 126 Tamil Nadu advocates who had allegedly been involved in the strikes against the Madras high court’s controversial new disciplinary rules.

Staying the suspension till 22 August, the BCI directed the Bar Council of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry (BCTP) to file a report with regard to attendance of lawyers in the courts across the state, BCTP sources here said today.

BCI had suspended the 126 lawyers and prohibited them from practising in any court or tribunal in the country on the eve the move by the Joint Action Committee (JAC) of various bar associations to stage a sit-in at the Madras high court here, High Court bench in Madurai and subordinate courts on 25 July, protesting the amended rules to Advocates Act.

reported PTI.

According to PTI, the previously suspended lawyers included JAC Chief Co-Ordinator P Thirumalairajan, member M Velmurugan, Madras high court Advocates Association Secretary Arivazhagan, Women Lawyers Association President Nalini and Egmore Bar Association President Chandan Babu.

Apparently, on 14 August the JAC met in Erode and decided to pause their strike, after which BCI chairman Manan Kumar Mishra reportedly stayed the suspension until 22 August, according to PTI.

Our brief explainer has more background on the rules and the dispute.