Shivani Thakur
Published on: April 16, 2022 at 12:51 IST
The Bar Council of India (BCI) filed an Affidavit in the Supreme Court on a raft of proposed Reforms in the Country’s Legal Education. According to Affidavit, Senior Lawyers may soon have to give space to at least Five Young Lawyers in their Chambers.
The Affidavit, filed on April 11, has revealed, based on scores obtained by young lawyers in an Online Legal Aptitude Test, they could be placed under Lawyers designated as Senior Advocates or those with 25 years of standing at the Bar.
The Council is also planning to frame a Rule wherein Online Objective Tests will have to be undertaken by Fresh Law Graduates and the Results of the Online tests shall be valid for a period of six months.
“On the basis of the Results of these Tests, Meritorious Junior Law Graduates, who have freshly obtained Enrolment, shall get Placement under Senior Advocates or Advocates having 25 years of Standing at the Bar. Other junior Advocates shall also get placement under Advocates having 15 to 20 years of Experience. The Bar Council of India shall also request all such Advocates throughout the length and breadth of the Country to co-operate and contribute in this regard,” it said.
The Bar Council of India, on the issue of Admissions to Law colleges, pointed out that while the Entrance Exams are presently conducted by the concerned University, “It is proposed that the Legal Education committee of Bar Council of India and advisory board would consider introducing a State Level Entrance Test for Admission in Law Colleges in its next meeting.”
The Affidavit further complained about the indifference of Universities and State Governments towards improving the infrastructure of Government-run Law Colleges.
“Some Government Universities have been recklessly granting Affiliation to Law colleges. Often State Governments are granting No Objection Certificates without Examining/Verifying the infrastructure. These are the hurdles in improving the standard of Legal Education and this ultimately affects the Standard of the Legal Profession too,” complained Bar Council of India.
The Punjab and Haryana High Court held the Moratorium to Unconstitutional for Violating the Right to Practice any profession or to carry on any occupation, trade or business under Article 19(10)(g).
Following the Court Order, Bar Council of India came out with a press release in June 2021 to clarify that moratorium is no longer in existence.
The Court is expected to take up Bar Council of India’s response on April 19.