Clarifying the government’s stance on the validity of law degrees obtained through non-regular modes, the Ministry of Law and Justice has stated that the Bar Council of India (BCI) does not recognize evening, night-school, part-time, or distance education LL.B. courses initiated after the academic year 2000-2001.
In a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha today, the Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Law and Justice, Shri Arjun Ram Meghwal, detailed the regulatory evolution concerning legal education in India.
Discontinuation of Evening Courses
The Minister informed the House that under the earlier Rules of Legal Education, 1989, the BCI had permitted and recognized evening LL.B. courses offered by specific universities and law colleges, including those in Delhi and other states. These recognitions were subject to compliance with the standards prevailing at that time.
However, a significant policy shift occurred with the introduction of the Rules of Legal Education, 1999 (referred to as Standards of Legal Education and Recognition of Degrees in Law). Effective from the academic year 2000–2001, the BCI discontinued the recognition of evening law degree courses across all states.
Current Mandate: Full-Time Course Only
Shri Meghwal emphasized that the Bar Council of India has consistently maintained this prohibition under the current Rules of Legal Education, 2008.
According to these rules, the LL.B. degree is mandated to be a regular, full-time professional course. The regulations prescribe specific daily and weekly classroom hours, minimum attendance requirements, and a fixed academic teaching window between 8.00 A.M. and 7.00 P.M.
Consequently, the Minister clarified that since the academic year 2000–2001, there exists no state-wise recognition for any of the following modes of legal education:
- Evening or Night-school courses
- Part-time courses
- Weekend or Holiday courses
- Online courses
- Distance learning LL.B. courses
This position has been reiterated by the BCI through various statutory rules and circulars over the years.
Validity of Pre-2000 Degrees
Addressing the status of candidates who obtained their degrees prior to the regulatory change, the Minister clarified that LL.B. degree holders who completed their law degree through evening classes up to the academic year 1999-2000 are entitled to be enrolled as advocates. Degrees obtained through such modes after this cut-off period are not recognized for enrollment.
