The Allahabad High Court at Lucknow has asked the Bar Council of Uttar Pradesh to state whether a Certificate and Place of Practice (COP), once issued, can be reissued with a changed place of practice. The Court also asked the Council to place on record the details of 5108 voters found eligible for the upcoming Oudh Bar Association elections.
A Division Bench of Justice Rajan Roy and Justice Manjive Shukla passed the order on October 14, 2026, in a Public Interest Litigation filed by Girdhari Lal Yadav, who appeared in person. Advocate Subhash Chandra Pandey appeared for the Bar Council of U.P.
Court’s Queries on COP Rules
The Bench directed Advocate Pandey to seek instructions and inform the Court by the next date whether the COP, “once issued under the Certificate and Place of Practice (Verification) Rules, 2015, can be re-issued with a changed place of practice or not.”
If reissue is permitted, the Court wanted to know whether any duration is prescribed within which it can be done.
The Bench further asked him to inform the Court “as to whether, the Bar Association where the voting rights are to be exercised, as mentioned in the COP, can also be changed if so, the duration in which it can be changed.”
Details of Oudh Bar Association Voters Sought
The Court also directed Advocate Pandey to furnish the details, as shown on the U.P. Bar Council website, of the voters named in the voter list finalised by the Returning Officer for the upcoming Oudh Bar Association elections. According to the Returning Officer, the list has 5108 voters.
To facilitate this, the Court directed the Returning Officer of the Oudh Bar Association elections to provide Advocate Pandey with a copy containing the names of all 5108 members found eligible to vote.
The Court added that if any changes have been made to a COP issued earlier, or if a COP has been reissued, Advocate Pandey must provide those details on the next date of listing.
Next Hearing
The matter will be heard on October 22, 2026, along with Writ C No. 5189/2025 and WPIL No. 995/2026.
Case Title: Girdhari Lal Yadav v. Bar Council of U.P. Thru. Its Chairman/Secy. Distt. Prayagraj and Another
Case No.: Public Interest Litigation (PIL) No. 996 of 2026
Bench: Justice Rajan Roy and Justice Manjive Shukla
Date: October 14, 2026
