GUWAHATI: The Supreme Court of India, on April 22, declined to entertain a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) that sought permission to offer a 3-year LL.B degree course directly after the 12th standard. The Court's response came after a bench led by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, along with Justice JB Pardiwala, expressed scepticism about the proposal, leading to the petitioner withdrawing the PIL.
The PIL, filed by Advocate Ashwini Upadhyay and presented by Senior Advocate Vikas Singh, argued that the 5-year course duration for LL.B after school is "unreasonable and irrational." The petition asserted that the extended duration is not required to complete the necessary coursework and imposes an undue burden on students, both financially and in terms of time commitment. It suggested that a 3-year LL.B degree, similar to bachelor's programmes in science, commerce, and arts, could be more practical.
Click here to join our WhatsApp channel
However, Chief Justice Chandrachud's comments during the hearing indicated a different perspective. He noted that the current 5-year course structure is valuable because it brings mature individuals into the legal profession.
"Even 5 years is too less," CJI Chandrachud remarked. Additionally, the Chief Justice questioned whether reducing the course duration would be in the best interest of the profession.
ALSO READ: 4-Year Bachelor Degree Graduates Can Now Directly Take NET, Pursue PhD
Despite Singh's arguments that the 5-year course duration could disproportionately affect girls and economically disadvantaged students, CJI Chandrachud pointed out that the majority of district judiciary entrants are women, indicating that the current system does not discourage female participation.
In response to Singh's request that the Bar Council of India (BCI) consider the petition as a representation, the Court reiterated its reluctance to entertain the matter. Ultimately, the petition was withdrawn without granting the petitioner the liberty to approach the Bar Council.
