The Delhi Bar Council has abolished the age limit of 45 years for enrolment as advocates.

Counsel for the Bar conveyed this to the Delhi High Court on Monday. Submitting before a Division Bench of the Court comprising Justice Vikramjit Sen and Justice S. L. Bhayana, counsel said the Bar, at a meeting on November 2, had adopted a resolution abolishing the maximum age limit criterion for enrolment.

He said the Bar would submit a copy of the resolution to the Court within a week. The Bench then adjourned the matter to November 22, the next date of hearing.

Counsel for the Bar made the submission in response to a bunch of public interest litigations.

The petitioners had moved the High Court last year following the Bar adopting a resolution banning law graduates above 45 years of age from enrolling as advocates.

They argued that the resolution was against the Fundamental Right to Equality and against the Advocates Act.

They submitted that the Act did not empower the Bar to amend its provisions. There are only three requisites under the Act for enrolment as an advocate, the petitioners argued: citizenship of the country, law graduate and 21 years of age.

Besides, the Supreme Court had abolished such a resolution adopted by another State Bar Council in 1995.

Monica Arora, counsel for one of the petitioners, said the Bar had not yet started enrolling law graduates above 45 years.

She said her client had informed her that the Bar had turned down the requests of several law graduates when they approached it for enrolment.