New Delhi: The Supreme Court today recorded
an undertaking by the Bar Council of India (BCI) that it
proposed to conduct its mandatory entrance test for law
graduates in December, only after which they would be allowed
to practice.
Appearing on behalf of the BCI, senior counsel K K
Venugopal and BCI counsel Sanjeev Sachdeva told a bench of
Dalveer Bhandari and A R Dave that instead of the earlier
July-August schedule for the test it was decided to conduct
the same in December to give the students sufficient time for
preparation.
The apex court had earlier constituted a three-member
committee headed by Solicitor General Gopal Subramaniam as
Amicus Curaie to prepare suitable guidelines to improve the
standard and quality of advocacy.
In pursuant to the direction, the BCI had come out with
the proposal to conduct entrance test for law graduates before
allowing them to practice. However, there would be no bar on
law graduates in getting enrolled before clearing the exams.
The apex court had passed the direction while dealing
with a petition filed by the BCI challenging the Madhya
Pradesh High Court direction to the Council to grant
recognition to the Bonnie Law college.
The high court had passed the direction after the BCI
had cancelled the recognition to the college on the ground
that it lacked adequated standards and infrastructure.
The BCI had moved an appeal in the apex court against the
HC order.
PTI
