Mrinalini Majumdar v. The Bar Councilof India And ANR.

August 20, 2025 Sl. No.13 Court No.8 s.biswas WPA(P) 540 of 2022 Mrinalini Majumdar vs.

The Bar Council of India and others Mr. Phiroze Edulji, Sr. Adv.

Ms. Pallavi Priyadarshee Ms. Priyanka Bhattacharya ... for the petitioner Mr. Pasun Kr. Datta Mr. Santanu Deb Roy ... for the Bar Council of West Bengal Mr. Avinash Kankani ... for the Bar Council of India

1. Mr. Phiroze Edulji, learned senior advocate for the petitioner, Mr. Prasun Kr. Datta, learned counsel for the Bar Council of West Bengal and Mr.

Avinash Kankani, learned counsel for the Bar Council of India are present.

2. With the consent of the parties, the matter is finally heard.

3. During the course of hearing, learned counsel for the parties reached to a consensus.

4. It is agreed that this PIL may be disposed of directing the Bar Council of West Bengal to consider and decide the representation dated 19th September, 2022 within a period of 90 days.

5. In view of consensus arrived at, the PIL is disposed of by directing the petitioner to resubmit the said representation dated 19th September, 2022 along with copy of this order before the Bar Council of West Bengal.

6. In turn, the Bar Council of West Bengal shall consider and decide the representation in the appropriate forum within 90 days therefrom.

7. The outcome shall be communicated to the petitioner.

8. The PIL is disposed of without expressing any opinion on merits and its tenability.

9. At this stage, learned counsel for the Bar Council of West Bengal fairly submits that although in prescribed form for enrolment and in the identity card issued by the Bar Council, relevant entry is relating to name of father/husband, if any candidate prefers application by mentioning the name of mother, it shall not be rejected by Bar Council on that account.

10. In view of this candid and fair stand taken by learned counsel for the West Bengal Bar Council, it is directed that in the present process of enrolment which is going on, the candidature of a candidate for enrolment shall not be rejected if in place of father's/husband's name, the name of mother is mentioned. In view of such fair stand taken by learned counsel for the West Bengal Bar Council, we hope and trust that in their next meeting of appropriate forum, they will take appropriate decision to regularize the same in the prescribed form and identity card also.

11. In addition, if the candidate is orphan or is not in a position to disclose the names of parents, that aspect may also be looked into in the said meeting.

(Sujoy Paul, J.) (Smita Das De, J.)