PIL in SC seeks expert panel to examine feasibility of 3-yr LLB immediately after Class 12

New Delhi: A public interest litigation (PIL) has been filed in the Supreme Court seeking direction to the Centre and the Bar Council of India (BCI) to form an expert committee to ascertain the feasibility of starting a 3-year Bachelor of Law Course after Class 12.

The present duration of 5 years i.e. 10 semesters for the Bachelor of Law Course is unreasonable and the inordinate duration is arbitrary and irrational and hence, violates Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution, said the PIL, adding that the students can easily study 15-20 subjects in 3 years.

"The undue 5 years’ time is arbitrary and irrational for many reasons. Firstly, the length of time is not necessary to give a Bachelor's degree, secondly, the prolonged period of 5 years is not suitable for students, thirdly, the 5 precious years are not proportional to study law and fourthly, this puts excessive financial burden on the students to complete such a lengthy degree," stated the plea filed by advocate Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay.

Had there been a lesser time of 3 years to finish the bachelor's degree, the student could have gotten 2 undisturbed years to obtain practical knowledge in a court or law firm or to pursue a Master's degree or to prepare for a judicial exam, it added.

The plea, filed through advocate Ashwani Kumar Dubey, claimed that the unreasonable 5 years length of the law course has been set under the pressure of college management so as to make the most amount of money they could from the course. The course fee of private law colleges and even the National Law Universities is exorbitant and lower as well as middle-class students find it very difficult to pursue a Bachelor of Law with such an exorbitant fee structure and that too for 5 years (10 semesters)," it said.

Further, the petitioner stated that the Bachelor of Law (LLB) course can be compared with the Bachelor of Arts (BA), Bachelor of Commerce (B.Com) and Bachelor of Science (B.Sc) but not with the Bachelor of Engineering or Technology (B. Tech). Even if it is compared then even, the Indian Institute of Technology gives a B.Tech degree in 4 years, it noted.