Bar Council concerned over mushrooming of law colleges across country
New Delhi: Troubled by the falling quality of legal education and mushrooming of law colleges across the country, the Bar Council of India has shot off a letter to all universities issuing law degrees to exercise caution while granting affiliation to new law colleges.
What has the Bar Council of India said?
The Bar Council of India in its letter to all law universities said there are some universities in the country that are not following the guidelines laid down by the council while giving clearance for the establishment of new law colleges in the country.
“It has come to our attention that several universities are granting affiliations to new Colleges of Legal Education (CLEs) in remote districts where more than five CLEs already exist. Universities are requested to meticulously examine any proposed centers of legal education to ensure they fully comply with the minimum standards and procedures outlined in the Rules of Legal Education. Affiliations granted must meet these standards,” says the Bar Council letter.
Bar Council of India is an independent body
Bar Council of India is an independent body under The Advocates Act, 1961, which regulate legal education across the country.
As per the Bar Council guidelines, permission to establish new colleges can only be given to either a non-profit organization of trust or registered society or a non-profit company.
Besides, the council mandates that the a new law colleges has to have adequate land and buildings to provide for Centre of Legal Education, library, halls of residences separately for male and female and sports complex both indoor and outdoor, and regular trained faculty so that it can effectively run professional law courses.
Letter also requests state governments to conduct thorough surveys before granting NOCs to new centers of legal education
The letter has also requested state governments to conduct thorough surveys and assessments before granting No Objection Certificates (NOCs) to new centers of legal education and carry out periodic inspection of the new colleges.
The bar council in its letters adds, “This will help in promoting the growth of legal education institutions that contribute effectively to the development of the legal profession and justice system in the region. We must emphasize that the responsibility for curbing the mushroom growth and proliferation of substandard law colleges does not rest solely on the shoulders of the BCI.”