The Gujarat High Court has recently issued a notice to the Bar Council of India (BCI) regarding a plea by eight law colleges in the state seeking recognition [MS Bhagat and CS Sonawala Law College v. Bar Council of India and Others].
In response to the urgency highlighted by the petitioner colleges, Justice Devan M Desai requested responses from the BCI and its Joint Secretary, scheduling the matter for a hearing on May 24.
“Issue Notice returnable on 24.05.2024. Respondent Nos.1 and 2 be served through E-mail. Direct Service today is permitted,” the Court ordered.
Senior Advocate SI Nanavati, representing the petitioner colleges, argued that although the colleges are affiliated with different universities in the state, they have not been recognized by the BCI. Consequently, students from these colleges would be ineligible to appear for the All India Bar Examination, which is required to obtain a license to practice law.
Nanavati stressed that the careers of students from these law colleges are at risk due to the lack of recognition. He also pointed out that Rule 14 of the Rules of Legal Education, 2008, mandates that no institution can offer legal education without BCI approval.
He noted that the petitioner colleges have not been approved by the BCI since 2014, 2010, and 2015, respectively, due to the lack of requisite faculty as per BCI rules. With the admission process set to begin on May 28, immediate court intervention was deemed necessary for the recognition of these colleges.
Taking into account the arguments and urgency, the Court issued a notice to the BCI and scheduled a hearing for May 24.
Advocates Mrugen K Purohit and Vandan Baxi also represented the petitioner colleges.
