HC notice to BCI for derecognising DU's Law Faculty

The Delhi High Court Wednesday issued notice to the Bar Council of India (BCI) and Delhi Bar Council (DBC) on a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking to quash the BCI's order last month that law graduates who passed out from the three centres of Delhi University's Law Faculty this year cannot be enrolled as advocates.

A division bench of Chief Justice G. Rohini and Justice R.S. Endlaw sought response from BCI and DBC by Nov 5 on a PIL filed by Vijay Kumar Chaurasia, an assistant professor at the Law Faculty.

On Sep 22, BCI, which regulates legal education in the country, asked state bar councils not to enroll the student who passed out from the three centres of DU's Law Faculty as advocates, as the Law Faculty failed to obtain "extension of approval of affiliation" from BCI despite repeated reminders.

The DU Law Faculty failed to obtain extension from the BCI beyond the academic year 2010-11.

Every year, the Law Faculty admits around 2,000 students in its three centres, two of which run in the evening.

Seeking quashing of the BCI order, Chaurasia told the court that the decision was arbitrary and against the Legal Education Rules, 2008.