BCI issues fresh notice to DU Faculty of Law demanding compliance undertaking within 4 weeks

Spelling fresh trouble for Delhi University, BCI’s Legal Education Committee has issued a show cause notice to explain the “illegalities” in its functioning and has demanded an assurance in writing that it would comply with the prescribed recommendations within four weeks. Failure on the University’s part would entail disaffiliation for two academic years.

The Notice came after recent inspection by a panel headed by former Chief Justice of Patna High Court L. Narasimha Reddy. The BCI Panel noticed fresh violations of the recommendations, besides the University’s ignorance in attending to the ones highlighted earlier.

The Committee had reportedly noted that the Faculty of law had just 20 classrooms, instead of 100 for 5895 students. Despite such infrastructural deficiencies, the College had increased its intake by 54 per cent instead of the permitted 27 per cent, without seeking BCI’s approval. Moreover, it had been functioning with an ad-hoc faculty for the last 15 years.

It was also noted that the new building, which the Faculty intends to shift into, was “totally incomplete as regard furniture”, as quoted by LegallyIndia

Displaying a strict stance to the illegalities, the notice said, “On complying with the same, approval may be renewed for current academic year with a clear stipulation that failure to honour the undertaking would entail further extension of approval.”

The Faculty of Law was established in 1924 and is claimed to be one of the largest law schools in India. Faculty of Law, Delhi University found itself in a fix for the first time in September, 2014, after BCI decided to derecognize the law course taught at its three centres, namely Campus Law Centre, Law Centre­1 and Law Centre­2. This was because the Law Faculty had failed to obtain “extension of approval of affiliation” from BCI despite repeated reminders.

Delhi University Law Faculty Dean Professor Ashwani Kumar Bansal had then written a letter to the BCI, expressing shock over the “drastic step”. Following unrest among the stakeholders, DU sent an application for affiliation and inspection a month later, under the Legal Education Rules to the Bar Council of India, providing a breather to the recent graduates of the Institute.

The University decided to shift its law faculty out of its 90 years old campus in January last year. The decision however, had drawn flak from the students who are unhappy over the size of the new facility. This was followed by the BCI allowing enrolment of students who had passed out till 2013-14 as advocates.