Twenty-eight law colleges received BCI notices for failure to meet norms; BCI says it is dedicated to raising quality of Bar

Replying to a writ petition before the Madras High Court, the Bar Council of India (BCI) has stated that twenty-eight law colleges across the country have received show cause notices for failing to meet prescribed norms. Of the twenty-eight colleges mentioned, twelve are located in Maharashtra, four in Gujarat and three each in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. The complete list of law colleges is available below..The BCI was replying to a petition filed in the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court seeking a ban on law graduates from “unauthorised colleges in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka” from practicing in various courts across Tamil Nadu. The affidavit filed by BCI Secretary JR Sharma not only denies any lapses on the part of the BCI, but also sheds some light on the manner in which law colleges are established and granted BCI affiliation..As per the affidavit, the initial onus (post an NOC given by the concerned government) of approving a law college rests on the University under which the law college seeks to be established. Even before an inspection is made by the BCI, the University must ensure that, amongst other things,.“…..(ii) the institution has in its name either in freehold or leasehold, adequate land and buildings, to provide for Center of Legal Education building, library, halls of residence…..sports complex both indoor and outdoor…...(iii) [The institution has] recruited or taken steps to recruit adequate number of full time and visiting faculty to teach subjects of studies, each faculty having at least a Master Degree in the respective subject as required under UGC Rules,.(iv) there is the separate Centers of Legal Education for the study of law under a separate Principal who should be qualified in Law to be Professor of Law as stipulated under the UGC and the Bar Council of India rules….….”.It is only once these conditions are met, does the BCI send its inspection team. This inspection team then submits a report to the Legal Education Committee, and it is this Committee that eventually takes a decision on granting approval. It was in the course of the last two meetings, held in January and May this year that the Committee issued show cause notices to the twenty-eight law colleges..The affidavit also states that in as many as 10 separate cases, the High Courts of Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh have granted interim protection to law colleges whose approval (or extension of approval) was declined by the BCI..In conclusion, the affidavit defends the procedures adopted by the BCI vis-à-vis college approvals and goes on to say that the BCI is committed to reforming legal education and the legal profession in the country.