Overview
- The Bar Council of India issued a comprehensive circular on July 17 that sets a formal digital ethics code for advocates, law students, interns and newly enrolled advocates.
- Students and interns must sign standalone written undertakings at enrolment, at admission and before each internship that acknowledge the rules and will be kept on institutional records.
- The circular forbids recording, photographing or publishing court proceedings, chamber work, client conferences, case files or ‘day in chamber’ style reels and also bans AI-generated deepfakes and voice clones depicting judges or parties.
- State Bar Councils, Centres of Legal Education, bar associations and law firms must designate nodal officers or committees, run sensitisation training, maintain registers of undertakings and submit periodic compliance reports to the BCI.
- The BCI warned of disciplinary action for breaches, including withdrawal of internships, reporting to institutions or state councils and possible contempt or other proceedings, while clarifying that accurate, non‑promotional legal education content remains allowed.