BCI recommends enrollment of DU law graduates of 2013-14

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court has been informed that the Bar Council of India (BCI) has inspected the three centres of Delhi University's Law Faculty and has recommended enrollment, as advocates, of students who have passed out till 2013-2014.

A bench of Chief Justice G Rohini and Justice Rajiv Sahai Endlaw was also told by the counsel for Delhi University (DU) that the Law faculties have been issued cause notices seeking explanation over the adverse remarks made during inspection.

"It is brought to our notice by Mohinder JS Rupal, the counsel appearing for the University of Delhi that the Bar Council of India, on the basis of the report submitted by the inspection team, passed an order on January 12, 2015 recommending approval of affiliation till the Session 2014-15.

"It is also stated that show cause notices have been issued to the Vice Chancellor, all the heads, Deans and three professors In-charge of all the three law centres of Delhi University calling upon them to submit their reply within eight weeks to the adverse remarks in the inspection report," the court noted in its order.

"Under the circumstances, we deem it appropriate to adjourn the matter by eight weeks," it said, while listing the case for April 6.

A team of seven members has inspected the three centres after the varsity had applied for inspection for continued affiliation to the apex lawyers' body.

Delhi University's response came during the hearing of a PILs, Vijay Kumar Chaurasia and two others, seeking setting aside of a notification barring fresh law graduates of DU from being enrolled as lawyers.

A BCI letter, issued on September 23 last year, to Bar Council of Delhi (BCD), other state Bar Councils and to DU's Vice Chancellor declared that in the absence of extension of approval of affiliation of Law Centres here, the students admitted in sessions 2011-12 onward and passed out from the academic year 2013-14, are not eligible for enrollment.

The petitions have termed the letter of BCI as arbitrary and violating fundamental rights of innocent students.

The petitions have also alleged BCD cannot revoke the approval of affiliation of DU's three law centres without an "adverse report of inspection".

"BCI has revoked the approval of affiliation only on the ground that Law Centres, University of Delhi, did not comply with the order issued by it," the petition, by filed Chaurasia, said.

It said that such a direction, revoking the approval of affiliation of all Law Centres of University of Delhi is without proper procedure of physical inspection as mentioned in the Inspection Manual 2010, which has been framed by BCI, itself in 2010.

It has also sought a direction to the BCI and the BCD to pay Rs 5 lakh each as compensation to law graduates who have been wrongfully and illegally denied enrollment as advocates.