In force · As amended up to 2026-08
24. Special provision relating to Advocates and Bar Council.— (1) Subject to any rule made or direction given by the High Court of Himachal Pradesh in this behalf, any person who immediately before the appointed day is an advocate entitled to practise in the High Court of Delhi shall be entitled to practise as an advocate in the High Court of Himachal Pradesh.
(2) The right of audience in the High Court of Himachal Pradesh shall be regulated in accordance with the like principles as immediately before the appointed day are in force with respect to the right of audience in the High Court of Delhi.
(3) On and from the appointed day, in the Advocates Act, 1961 (25 of 1961) (hereafter in this section referred to as the Advocates Act), in section 3, —
(a) in sub-section (1), for clause (d), the following clauses shall be substituted, namely: —
"(d) for the States of Punjab and Haryana and the Union territory of Chandigarh, to be known as the Bar Council of Punjab and Haryana;
(dd) for the State of Himachal Pradesh, to be known as the Bar Council of Himachal Pradesh;";
(b) in clause (b) of sub-section (2), after the words "Bar Council of Orissa", the words ", the Bar Council of Himachal Pradesh" shall be inserted.
(4) The provisions of section 17 of the Advocates Act shall have effect in respect of the roll of the Bar Council of Himachal Pradesh subject to the modifications that —
(a) for clause (a) of sub-section (1) of the said section 17, the following clause shall be substituted, namely: —
"(a) all persons who were entered as advocates on the roll of the Bar Council of Punjab and Haryana immediately before the day appointed under clause (b) of section 2 of the State of Himachal Pradesh Act, 1970, and who within three months from that day express in such manner as the Bar Council of India may, by rules, prescribe an intention in writing to practise within the jurisdiction of the Bar Council of Himachal Pradesh;";
(b) in clause (a) of sub-section (3) of the said section 17, for the words and figures "with his date of enrolment under the Indian Bar Councils Act, 1926 (38 of 1926)", the words "with his seniority on the roll of the Bar Council of Punjab and Haryana" shall be substituted.
(5) Notwithstanding anything contained in the Advocates Act as amended or modified by sub-sections (3) and (4), —
(a) in the case of the first Bar Council of Himachal Pradesh under that Act, the fifteen members required to be elected under clause (b) of sub-section (2) of section 3 of that Act, as amended by sub-section (3), shall be nominated by the Chief Justice of the High Court of Himachal Pradesh from amongst advocates who are entitled as of right to practise in the High Court of Himachal Pradesh and are ordinarily practising within the territories comprised in the State of Himachal Pradesh and the term of office of the members so nominated shall be one year from the date of the first meeting of the Council or until their successors are duly elected in accordance with the provisions of the said Act, whichever is earlier;
required to be elected under clause (b) of sub-section (2) of section 3 of that Act, as amended by
(b) until the members of the first Bar Council of Himachal Pradesh required to be nominated under clause (a) are duly nominated in accordance with the provisions of that clause, the Bar Council of Punjab and Haryana shall function as the Bar Council of Himachal Pradesh and the provisions of the Advocates Act shall, so far as may be, apply accordingly;
(c) the names of persons entered on the roll of the Bar Council of Himachal Pradesh in accordance with the provisions of clause (a) of sub-section (1) of section 17 of the Advocates Act, as modified by sub-section (4), shall, as from the date or dates on which the names are so entered, stand removed from the roll of the Bar Council of Punjab and Haryana;
(d) any proceedings which may be pending or which may be instituted against any person before or by the Bar Council of Punjab and Haryana immediately before his name is removed under clause (c) from the roll of that Bar Council may after such removal be continued or instituted before or by the Bar Council of Himachal Pradesh;
or by the Bar Council of Punjab and Haryana immediately before his name is removed under
(e) every person who immediately before his name stands removed from the roll of the Bar Council of Punjab and Haryana in accordance with the provisions of clause (c) is a member of the Bar Council of Punjab and Haryana shall cease to be a member of that Council as from the date on which his name stands so removed from the roll of that Bar Council;
(f) the rules made or deemed to have been made by the Bar Council of Punjab and Haryana and in force immediately before the date on which the first Bar Council of Himachal Pradesh is duly constituted in accordance with the provisions of clause (a) shall, subject to such modifications and adaptations as may be made therein by the Chairman of the Bar Council of Himachal Pradesh, be deemed to be rules made by the Bar Council of Himachal Pradesh and shall have effect accordingly.
(6) As soon as may be, after the first Bar Council of Himachal Pradesh is duly constituted in accordance with the provisions of clause (a) of sub-section (5), the assets and liabilities of the Bar Council of Punjab and Haryana shall be apportioned between that Bar Council and the Bar Council of Himachal Pradesh in such manner and proportion as may be agreed upon by the two Bar Councils and in default of agreement with reference to any matter, the matter shall be referred to the Chairman of the Bar Council of India and his decision thereon shall be final.
Explanation . — Expressions used in this section but not defined in this Act shall have the meanings assigned to them respectively in the Advocates Act.
— 25. Practice and procedure in High Court. Subject to the provisions of this Part, the law in force immediately before the appointed day with respect to practice and procedure in the High Court of Delhi shall, with the necessary modifications, apply in relation to the High Court of Himachal Pradesh.
— 26. Custody of seal of High Court. The law in force immediately before the appointed day with respect to the custody of the seal of the High Court of Delhi shall, with the necessary modifications, apply with respect to the custody of the seal of the High Court of Himachal Pradesh.
— 27. Form of writs and other processes. The law in force immediately before the appointed day with respect to the form of writs and other processes used, issued or awarded by the High Court of Delhi shall, with the necessary modifications, apply with respect to the form of writs and other processes used, issued or awarded by the High Court of Himachal Pradesh.
— 28. Powers of Judges. The law in force immediately before the appointed day with respect to the powers of the Chief Justice, single Judges and division courts of the High Court of Delhi and with respect to all matters ancillary to the exercise of those powers shall, with the necessary modifications, apply in relation to the High Court of Himachal Pradesh.
— 29. Procedure as to appeals to Supreme Court. The law in force immediately before the appointed day relating to appeals to the Supreme Court from the High Court of Delhi and the Judges and division courts thereof, shall, with the necessary modifications, apply in relation to the High Court of Himachal Pradesh.
Source: India Code