Bengaluru: The High Court dismissed a batch of petitions filed by candidates seeking admission to three-year and five-year regular law degree courses based on their degrees obtained through open universities or 10+2 certificates directly without foundation courses.
Justice L. Narayana Swamy passed the order while rejecting the petitions filed by Sudha Rani K. and several others. The petitioners were aggrieved of rejection of their admission to regular law courses for the reasons that they had secured +2 examinations through regular college or that they have done their PUC through Open University or degree was pursued through Open University or a university that is not recognised.
It was contended by the petitioner-students that the Bar Council of India (BCI) may prescribe minimum qualification required for admission to regular law degree, but it cannot in any manner prescribe as to how those qualifications are required to be obtained. They also claimed that the State government had issued a notification in January 2015 stating that students who have passed class 12 directly are treated to have passed two years PUC/12 standard.
However, the court disagreed with the petitioners’ contention while pointing out that many High Courts have already upheld the powers and authority of the BCI to regulate and control legal education, particularly with reference to entry of students into law course.
