BCI mandates social media oath

The India — Bar Council of India (BCI) has issued new social media and digital ethics guidelines for law students, interns, and newly enrolled advocates. The guidelines require individuals to submit separate undertakings and affidavits promising to follow the code of conduct, which prohibits creating reels or videos inside courts, recording hearings or client meetings, disclosing confidential case details, and posting content that trivializes the legal profession. Advocates are also barred from promotional content inside court premises, using court buildings or robes for social media branding, and circulating edited clips of court proceedings. AI-generated or deepfake content depicting judges, lawyers, or court proceedings in a misleading manner is prohibited. State Bar Councils and law colleges must set up monitoring systems and Digital Ethics Committees to enforce the rules. The BCI clarified that responsible legal education and accurate legal awareness content on social media remain permitted.