Law Ministry mulls commission to regulate legal education
The Law Ministry plans to set up a national commission to regulate various aspects of legal education in India, a job so far entrusted with the Bar Council of India.
The draft Higher Legal Education and Research Bill, 2010, prepared by the Ministry provides for creation of a national commission to regulate various aspects of legal education.
The bill provides for the regulation of various aspects of higher legal education and research, grant of recognition to law schools, colleges and institutions imparting legal education and research.
The ministry drafted the bill to counter the HRD Ministry's National Commission for Higher Education and Research Bill, which sought to include legal education under the ambit of a single regulator for all streams of higher education.
According to one of the clauses of the draft bill, the ministry seeks to create a national commission comprising a chairperson and six members to be appointed on the recommendation of a selection panel headed by the Prime Minister.
While there is no mention of the Bar Council of India, other members in the selection panel would include the Attorney General, Chief Justice of India or his nominee and the Law Minister.
"The General Council shall advise the Commission on the measures to be taken for connecting higher legal education and research to the practice of professions," a provision of the bill states.
According to 1961 Advocates Act, promotion of legal education and laying down its standards, in consultation with universities, has been defined as a function of the BCI.
