Institute of Legal and Management Studies

The Karnataka High Court recently recorded the Bar Council of India's (BCI) decision to extend the validity of the All India Bar Examination (AIBE) results till March 21, 2026, while disposing of a writ petition filed by two law graduates complaining of delays in their enrolment as advocates.

Justice Suraj Govindaraj, hearing the petition filed by S. Gowri Shankar and Vijay Chander T., noted that the BCI had “taken into consideration the problems which would be caused to the students who have passed the AIBE results” and therefore “thought it fit to extend the validity of the AIBE Results until 21.03.2026.”

The Court said the BCI's decision would ensure that candidates who had cleared the AIBE but were awaiting completion of formalities with State Bar Councils, including the Karnataka State Bar Council (KSBC), would not suffer due to the expiry of their AIBE validity.

"The Bar Council of India, by taking into consideration the problems which would be caused to the students who have passed the AIBE results, has thought it fit to extend the validity of the AIBE Results until 21.03.2026, which would provide enough and more time for the Karnataka State Bar Council to process the applications which have been filed by the students concerned," the Court recorded.

The petitioners had approached the High Court seeking directions to the KSBC to process their applications for enrolment as advocates without insisting on additional preconditions such as prior document verification, and to refund certain “document verification charges” that they claimed were not authorised under the Advocates Act.

They also sought protection against the expiry of their AIBE validity and compensation from the Karnataka State Law University (KSLU) for delays in issuing provisional degree certificates.

During the hearing, the KSBC's counsel G. Nataraj informed the Court that all pending applications, including those of the petitioners, would be processed well before the new AIBE validity date, “so long as all the documents are submitted by the concerned students.” In cases where documents were incomplete, the Council would issue reminders seeking compliance, he added.

As for the petitioners' challenge to the ₹2,500 document verification fee, the Court noted that the issue was already pending before the Supreme Court in W.P. No. 352/2023, and hence refrained from passing any orders on that aspect.

Taking into account the BCI's extension and the assurance given by the KSBC, the High Court disposed of the petition.

In September, the BCI had notified the schedule for the AIBE-XX to be held on November 30, 2025.

Case : S. Gowri Shankar and another v. The Karnataka State Bar Council and others

Citation : 2025 LiveLaw (Kar) 361

Click here to read the order