Graduates who passed the July 2011 All India Bar Exam (AIBE) can collect their practising certificates, which now includes photographs, from state bar council offices from 25 October, said the Bar Council of India (BCI) in a press release yesterday.

Certificates would be dispatched this week and would be available with some state bar councils from 15 October. By 25 October all state bar councils would have the practice certificates available for collection.

The certificates had been “redesigned to an extent and would now also carry the photograph of the advocate”, according to the statement.

In its original notification the BCI had vowed to issue certificates of practice “to the address of the successful advocate within 30 days of the date of declaration of results”. The results for the second bar exam were published on 5 August 2011 – more than two months ago now.

BCI chairman Ashok Parija added in the release that the BCI regretted any inconvenience caused to advocates due to the delay in dispatching certificates. “Moving forward the format of the Certificate of Practice will remain standard and the printing processes will be tightened to ensure that the Certificates of Practice are available soon after the declaration of results of the AIBE,” he added.

• Full press release available from BCI website.