Bar Council of India's response on viral fake notice, said - the purpose is to defame legal professionals

On Saturday, the Bar Council of India (BCI) said that a fake notice was being circulated in its name. This notice is titled 'Official Notification: Mandatory Minimum Fee Structure for Lawyers in India'. This fake document was released on the day of 15th February 2025. It states that there will be an imposition of a mandatory minimum fee structure on lawyers from the day 1st of March, 2025.

The BCI has issued an announcement here. It states that this notice has only been issued with an intent to defraud both the general public, as well as legal practitioners. It bears the appearance of BCI. It is an offense of forging a false notice with an intent to cause injury, aiding an unwarranted claim, or committing fraud.

The notice does not carry official signatures, proper reference numbers, or procedural information. "The signatures are deliberately absent to avoid verification and authentication. This is a common modus operandi by fraudsters to create notices," the statement said. Further, the notice misuses the name and address of the BCI to create a false impression that it is a valid official order. Such fraudulent activities are designed to mislead the public and legal professionals. The notice mentions minimum fees for lawyers, which is only an attempt to spread confusion and falsehood.

The statement said the intent behind this fake document was clearly to mislead people and damage the reputation of the Bar Council. Circulation of such documents is a serious offense.

The BCI condemned the creation and circulation of this fake notice. It assured legal professionals and the public that steps have been taken to initiate legal action against the persons responsible for this act. Spreading such false and misleading information is a serious offence and the accused will face strict legal action.