Lucknow, Oct 26 The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court on Monday barred 300 member advocates of the Oudh Bar Association (OBA) from voting in its annual general elections scheduled for October 28.
The court ruled that 155 advocates whose Certificates of Practice (COPs) mention a place other than the Oudh Bar Association in Lucknow as their voting location and 145 lawyers whose certificates have not been renewed will not be allowed to vote.
However, advocates who produce valid proof of renewal may be permitted to vote.
A division bench of Justice Rajan Roy and Justice Manjive Shukla passed the order while hearing a public interest litigation, noting that only two days remained before polling.
The Uttar Pradesh Bar Council informed the court that 5,108 OBA members were found eligible to vote. Of these, 155 had their voting location recorded elsewhere in their COPs, while 145 had not renewed their certificates. The court directed that both the categories be excluded from the electoral process.
Referring to the Bar Council of India’s 2015 Rules on Certificates of Practice and Place of Practice (Verification), the bench said advocates must get their COPs verified and renewed every five years.
A valid and verified certificate is necessary to practise law and exercise voting rights.
During the hearing, a party alleged that around 400 individuals had already voted in the Lucknow Bar Association and Central Bar Association elections.
The court said time was insufficient to inquire into the allegation and declined to decide the issue at this stage.
To prevent future election-related disputes, the court directed the Uttar Pradesh Bar Council to develop, within six months, an online system through which an advocate’s COP can be accessed by entering their name or enrolment number.
The portal must also display the date and details of any changes made to the certificate. The Bar Council was directed to file a compliance affidavit after six months.
The court further directed that, in future elections, advocates should be allowed to vote only upon producing their original COP certificates rather than COP cards. This requirement will not apply to the ongoing 2026 elections unless the election officer decides to implement it.
The high court administration was also directed to take necessary steps to prevent outsiders and ineligible persons from entering the polling area on election day.
(PTI News)
