Thursday, April 22, 2010

Law graduates may need to pass a test to practice in court

Law graduates may need to pass a test to practice in court

The declining standards of the Bar have long been a cause of concern to the Government and the judiciary. Apprenticeship and bar examination may be the answer.

CURRENTLY YOU just need a degree in law to be able to wear a black gown and argue in an Indian court. This license to practice is granted to every LL.B. graduate from any Indian university. However, in some developed and developing countries, law graduates need to pass a separate test or course in order to appear in court. In USA, graduates have to take separate examinations for every state they wish to practice in. The UK conducts separate exams for qualification as a solicitor and as a barrister.

In India to practice, a law graduate must go through an interview- more a matter of form and procedure than a filtering process- before enrolling with the Bar Council of India (BCI). The Bar Council interview is nothing but a sham. They ask simple questions about family, other qualifications etc. What does that have to do with you being a lawyer? A change in the manner of admitting one to the Bar is long overdue. However, unless the new policy puts in place a strong, workable filtration process, there is no use. The declining standards of the Bar have long been a cause of concern to the Government and the judiciary. Since a considerable number of students take the course lightly and make do with a last minute study of the examination-oriented question and answers and clear the examinations, apprenticeship and bar examination would definitely be a great idea

This year, following a Supreme Court directive Bar Council of India is planning to hold a uniform standard single test to allow lawyers into the Bar. The exam aims to check the standards of many unreliable institutions recognized by BCI as much as to test the abilities of new law graduates.

Source Link: http://www.merinews.com/article/law-graduates-may-need-to-pass-a-test-to-practice-in-court/15804241.shtml

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