The action, which aims to eliminate fake lawyers and those who no longer meet the standards of practice, is being carried out under Rule 32 of the Bar Council of India Certificate and Place of Practice (Verification) Rules, 2015.

A change to Rule 32 was notified on 23 June 2023. This change strengthened the verification framework, allowing BCI to detect and delist unqualified/fake lawyers more effectively and systematically.

Between 2019 and June 23, 2023, several thousand fake lawyers were dismissed following extensive investigations into their credentials and practices. The main reason for these removals was fake and counterfeit certificates and misrepresentation during registration. In addition, the lawyers were dismissed for not actively practicing the legal profession and for not complying with the Bar Council’s verification processes.