In a landmark judgment on Friday, the Supreme Court firmly stated that the Bar Council of India (BCI) should not interfere with legal education, a domain better suited to jurists and academicians. The bench, comprising Justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh, dismissed a BCI petition against a Kerala High Court ruling from November 23, 2023, which permitted two men, convicted of murder, to pursue their law degrees via online classes.
The apex court’s dismissal highlighted the BCI’s misplaced priorities in challenging the progressive High Court order that allowed these convicts to continue their education. “The BCI has no business to go into this legal education part…Legal education should be left to the jurists, to the legal academicians…and please have some mercy on the legal education of this country,” Justice Kant remarked during the hearing.
This case originated when the BCI contested a Kerala High Court decision that enabled the two convicted individuals to attend LLB classes virtually, arguing that it contradicted the UGC Regulations. However, the Supreme Court questioned the BCI’s stance, especially considering the possibility of the convicts’ acquittal by higher courts in the future.
“Why would BCI challenge this kind of progressive order?” Justice Kant questioned, emphasizing the need for a supportive rather than a conservative approach from the BCI. The counsel for the BCI clarified that they were not seeking to stay the high court’s decision but were urging the court to consider the broader legal implications involved.
