GUWAHATI: A public interest litigation (PIL) has been lodged with the Supreme Court, advocating for students to be permitted to pursue three-year law courses immediately after completing their school education.
The current norm mandates five-year law courses for students who opt to pursue legal studies directly after high school, while three-year courses are available for those who pursue law after completing their undergraduate studies (LL.B.).
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The PIL, put forward by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and advocate Ashwini Upadhyay, urges the central government and the Bar Council of India (BCI) to establish an expert committee to evaluate the feasibility of introducing three-year LL.B. programmes post-secondary education.
Upadhyay's petition argues that the duration of five-year law courses is impractical for students, contending that it imposes an undue financial burden and hinders the timely commencement of their legal careers. He maintains that shorter courses would enable students to gain practical experience or pursue higher education more efficiently.
Citing the illustrious legal careers of Fali S Nariman and Ram Jethmalani, the petition emphasises the potential for young advocates to excel if given the opportunity to begin their legal journey earlier in life.
The petitioner criticises the current system for its focus on breadth rather than depth of knowledge and suggests that shorter courses would attract more talented individuals to the legal profession. Additionally, it questions the necessity of a Bachelor of Arts degree as a prerequisite for legal studies.
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Furthermore, the PIL calls for the central government, the Bar Council of India, and the Consortium of the National Law Universities to devise a comprehensive strategy to enhance the legal education sector and attract top-tier talent.
The PIL has been filed through advocate Ashwani Kumar Dubey and awaits further consideration by the Supreme Court.
