Ajay Vijh, an advocate who had served as panel counsel for Canara Bank, challenged his inclusion in the Indian Banks' Association (IBA) Caution List after the bank alleged that a legal opinion he rendered in 2015 was negligent in verifying title to property offered as loan security. The Allahabad High Court had dismissed his writ petition on the ground that IBA is not 'State' under Article 12 of the Constitution. The Supreme Court held that the writ petition under Article 226 was maintainable, as the inclusion in the Caution List affected the appellant's fundamental right to practise his profession under Article 19(1)(g). On merits, the Court declared that the IBA Caution List is intended only for cases involving fraud, dishonesty, criminality, or serious misconduct, and not for mere negligence or errors of professional judgment, making the appellant's inclusion unsustainable in law. The Court further directed the Bar Council of India to conduct a performance audit of its disciplinary mechanisms and to institutionalise Continuing Legal Education (CLE) for advocates.