Signing you in

Account subscription benefits alongside Premium Stories, Editorials, Opinions and more. Unlock these with Subscription

The View From India Looking at World Affairs from the Indian perspective.

First Day First Show News and reviews from the world of cinema and streaming.

Today's Cache Your download of the top 5 technology stories of the day.

Data Point Decoding the headlines with facts, figures, and numbers

Health Matters Ramya Kannan writes to you on getting to good health, and staying there

The Hindu On Books Books of the week, reviews, excerpts, new titles and features.

Image used for representational purposes. File | Photo Credit: iStockphoto/Getty Images

In a sweeping move to regulate the digital conduct of the legal fraternity, the Bar Council of India (BCI) has issued a comprehensive circular prescribing strict standards for the use of social media by advocates, law students and legal interns.

The circular, issued on July 17, prohibits advocates and law students from creating or circulating reels, videos or other content that sensationalises court proceedings, judicial hearings, chambers or professional work.

Advocates have been directed to refrain from “making reels, videos, photographs or promotional content inside Court premises, courtrooms, corridors, Bar rooms, chambers or judicial buildings in a manner inconsistent with dignity and decorum.”

The circular also bars lawyers from “clipping, editing or circulating live-streamed proceedings with captions, music, commentary, thumbnails or voiceovers that ridicule, mock, distort, sensationalise or scandalise the conduct of Judges, counsel, litigants or witnesses.”

The BCI has further prohibited lawyers, interns and law students from creating or circulating AI-generated images, deepfake videos, voice-cloned recordings or other synthetic content depicting judges, advocates, litigants or court proceedings. It also warns against publishing fabricated judgments, misleading legal advice, undisclosed AI-generated legal content, clickbait legal claims and the misuse of professional identity on digital platforms.

Explaining the rationale behind the guidelines, the BCI said, “A larger and equally serious issue has emerged of selective clipping, editing, captioning and circulation of portions of live-streamed proceedings, often with sensational, mocking, disparaging or scandalising comments directed at Judges, arguing counsel, litigants or the judicial process itself.”

“Such acts, if unchecked, can undermine public confidence in Courts and the administration of justice,” it added.

Clarifying the scope of the circular, the BCI said its concern was with “content which crosses the line from education into solicitation, misinformation, impersonation, breach of confidentiality, manufactured authority, commercial self-promotion, sensationalism or conduct inconsistent with the dignity of Courts and the Bar.”

At the same time, it emphasised that “positive use of social media is not prohibited”, including short-form legal education through reels, shorts, videos, podcasts or similar formats, provided such content is accurate, contextual, non-soliciting, does not disclose confidential information and does not reduce complex legal issues to misleading assurances of outcomes.

To ensure compliance, the BCI has directed all State Bar Councils to circulate the circular individually to every enrolled advocate and every recognised Bar Association. Law schools and Centres of Legal Education have also been instructed to conduct mandatory orientation programmes on digital ethics and professional responsibility.

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.