New Delhi: In a bid to keep law students with criminal antecedents out of the legal profession, the Bar Council of India on Tuesday, issued a circular directing all law colleges in the country, to put in place a system of conducting a criminal background check of students pursuing law courses.
In a letter addressed to Vice-Chancellors/Registrars of Universities/Centers of Legal Education issuing Law degrees and all Law degree students, the bar council has said that it will be now mandatory for all law students to declare details of any ongoing FIR, criminal case, conviction, or acquittal before the issuance of their final marksheets and degrees by colleges and universities.
The bar council in its letter states that failure to disclose such information will result in strict disciplinary action, including the withholding of final marksheet and degree.
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Bar council of India which is the apex body in the country that controls legal education in the country says that this direction is being done to uphold the ethical standards of the legal profession and in response to judicial observations regarding the need to monitor the antecedents and backgrounds of law students.
All law colleges in the country will now have to submit a report with respect to criminal antecedents of law students to the bar council and colleges will have to wait for BCI’s decision before issuing the final marksheet and degree to the student.
Additionally, the BCI has also directed law colleges to incorporate biometric attendance systems and install CCTV cameras in classrooms to ensure transparency and accountability in attendance and conduct.
And colleges that fail to enforce the BCI mandates on criminal antecedents and attendance will face disciplinary actions, including de-recognition or disapproval of affiliation by the BCI.
BCI has also clarified in the circular that no law student will pursue any other academic course simultaneously while pursuing their LLB degree and Students must declare that they were not engaged in any job, service, or vocation during the course of their LL.B. degree unless they had obtained a valid No Objection Certificate (NOC).
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