Ensure correspondence students are not admitted to law courses: HC to BCI

Chennai

Justice N Anand Venkatesh said this while allowing the candidature of a person who had pursued all his studies from Class 10 to graduation through correspondence to gain admission into a regular three-year law course.

Even as he observed that the court understood the university’s concern in admitting such students into law colleges, the judge pointed out that Rule 5 of the Bar Council of India Rules provided an exception to undergo education through distance/correspondence mode.

“It is clear that as per the existing Rules, the petitioner is eligible for being considered as a candidate for the three year BL course subject to the condition that the petitioner again participates in the selection for the academic year 2020-2021 and obtains necessary cut off marks,” the judge said.

Till this rule was in force, a candidate who satisfied the requirements would have to be considered for admission, Justice Anand Venkatesh said, and sought BCI to take a cue from this judgment and make necessary changes to ensure that only those who completed Higher Secondary and UG through regular course were eligible to participate for selection.

“In the absence of the same, persons who have not even gone to the regular school or college will get into a law college for the first time in their life and that may not be a healthy trend to maintain the quality of education in law. The BCI should seriously take this suggestion into consideration and make necessary changes to the Rule,” he added.