Those candidates who have not followed the Indian pattern of a law degree in a foreign university can make up the deficient years by pursuing 1 year or 2 years of Bridge Degree Course in accordance to the deficient years from the India International University of Legal Education and Research, Goa, said BCI.
Bar Council of India (BCI) has said that a law degree obtained by an Indian citizen from a foreign University, not recognized by BCI, with effect from admissions taken from the academic session 2023-2024 shall not be eligible to be equated to a corresponding law degree obtained from an Indian University and the Indian citizen shall not be considered eligible to appear in the Qualifying Examination For Indian Nationals Holding Foreign Law Degrees for purposes of equating such degree and resultantly shall not be eligible to be enrolled with any State Bar Council.
The reason for this notification, as given by BCI, is that it is necessary to examine the details of courses, infrastructure, international scholarships and other requirements which are needed for an Indian student pursuing legal education in a foreign country. Therefore, unless the eligible to be equivalent law degree is granted by any foreign institution duly recognised by the Legal Education Committee of the Bar Council of India, subject to such law degree holders qualifying in the Qualifying Examination For Indian Nationals Holding Foreign Law Degrees for the purposes of equating such degree, and subject to the further fulfilling prerequisites of enrolment as per Advocates Act, 1961, along with BCI and State Bar Council relevant rules for enrolment, they cannot be enrolled in India, said, BCI's official statement.
Law degrees must follow Indian patterns of study to be recognised
In India, the pattern for pursuing a law degree is either 12 3 years (graduation) 3 years LL.B degree OR 12 5 years integrated law degree. Those candidates who have not followed such a pattern and yet pursued a law degree from a foreign University, whose law degree is recognised by the Bar Council of India can make up the deficient years by pursuing 1 year or 2 years of Bridge Degree Course in accordance to the deficient years from the India International University of Legal Education and Research, Goa. For eg. If an Indian citizen has done 12 3 years law degree from a foreign University whose law Degree is recognized by Bar Council of India, then he/she can make up for such deficiency by pursuing 2 years of Bridge course from India. On the other hand, if an Indian citizen has done 12 3 (graduation) 3 years Law Degree from a foreign University recognized by Bar Council of India, then he/she need not pursue any Bridge course and shall be eligible to appear in the Qualifying Examination For Indian Nationals Holding Foreign law degree after obtaining a letter/certificate from Bar Council of India, stating that the said foreign degree shall be considered to be equivalent to a corresponding Indian law degree subject to the candidate qualifying in Qualifying Examination For Indian Nationals Holding Foreign Law Degrees.
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