Bar Council of Punjab and Haryana is the state regulatory and statutory representative body for lawyers practicing law in the three states of Punjab and Haryana and Union Territory of Chandigarh. It was constituted as per the mandatory requirement of Advocates Act, 1961 and Bar Council of India. In March 1953, the 'All India Bar Committee', headed by S. R. Das, submitted a report which proposed the creation of a Bar Council for each state and an All-India Bar Council as an apex body. Members of the Bar Council are elected from amongst members enrolled and practicing as lawyers in Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh, and they represent the state in Bar Council of India meetings. Bar Council enforces standards of professional conduct to be followed by member advocates, and designs etiquettes and has the power to enforce disciplinary guidelines over the members of Bar.
Bar Council of Punjab and Haryana was formed as per the requirement of Section 3 of Advocates Act, 1961 which mandates for each state of India to have its Bar Council. Accordingly, Bar Council of Punjab and Haryana was formed. As per the guidelines the legal profession in India and the standards of legal education would be regulated by All India Bar Council. The Law Commission of India was assigned the job of assembling a report on judicial administration reforms.
Section 7 of the Advocates Act, 1961 lays down the Bar Council's regulatory and representative mandatory. Bar Councils of each place has following functions:
The State Council elects its own Chairman and Vice-Chairman i.e. the two statutory posts for a period of two years from amongst its members along with one Member Representative to the Bar Council of India for five years. Assisted by the various committees of the Council, the Chairman acts as the chief executive and director of the Council. Voting rights in general elections (for electing 25 Members to the Council) are available only for advocates having a Certificate of Practice. Till the year 2021, there were around 1,00,000 enrolled as members of the state Bar Council, and now in 2023 the number has grown by ten thousand newly enrolled lawyers each year. As per the Advocates Act, the Bar Council of the state should have 25 members in case the members on roll exceeds 10000 and accordingly Bar Council of Punjab and Haryana has 25 members and two ex-office being the Advocate General's of the two states i.e. Punjab and Haryana.
Suvir Sidhu was elected as youngest Chairman of Bar Council of Punjab and Haryana in 2022. Earlier he got elected as the youngest Member at the age of 27. Currently Dr. Vijender Ahlawat is the Chairman of Bar Council of Punjab & Haryana
Graduates having a law degree from recognised universities permitted to impart legal education are admitted as advocates in Bar Council of Punjab and Haryana. Law graduates can enroll online for Bar Council of Punjab and Haryana. State bar councils are empowered by Advocates Act, 1961 to frame rules according to their convenience for enrolling advocates in council. The enrollment committee formed by Councils will scrutinise a prospective member's application. Enrolled advocates of any bar council in state are considered as eligible to write the All India Bar Examination conducted by the Bar Council of India. After clearing the exam, he is certified by the Bar Council of India and issued the 'Certificate of Enrolment', which facilitates him to practice the profession of law in any High Court based in India and lower courts of the country, as an advocate. Advocates are required to qualify in the exam known as "Supreme Court Advocate on Record Examination" which is conducted by the Supreme Court exclusively to practice in the Supreme Court of Country.