Delhi High Court Refuses To Direct Bar Council Of India To Treat UK Law Degree Equal To Undergrad Course In India

The Delhi High Court has refused to direct the Bar Council of India (BCI) to treat the degree of a law graduate from the University of Hertfordshire in the United Kingdom as equivalent to an undergraduate course in India.

Justice C Hari Shankar said that the Court cannot direct the BCI to provide any such certificate of equivalence.

“Equivalence is a matter for academic bodies to decide and Courts cannot declare courses of study or the Institutions from which such courses are undertaken, as equivalent to others,” the court said.

However, the court directed BCI to take a reasoned and speaking decision on the law graduate's representation within three weeks.

The court disposed of the plea moved by Vasu Sachdeva seeking a direction on BCI to equivalent his degree as a three-year graduation course in India and to allow him to take admission to a three-year LL.B Course in CCS University or NLU for a bridge 2 years course.

Sachdeva took admission in the LL.B (Hons.) Bachelor of Law Course provided by the University of Hertfordshire in the U.K. in September 2018. After completing the course, he returned to India and sought enrolment as an advocate on the basis of his foreign degree.

BCI informed him that in order to be qualified to practice as an advocate in India, Sachdeva would have to undertake a two-year bridge course conducted by the India International University of Legal Education and Research situated in Goa.

However, Sachdeva was not in a position to afford the two-year course.

“…. all that the court can do in this case is to direct the BCI to take a reasoned and speaking decision on the petitioner's representation and communicate the decision to the petitioner as soon as it is taken,” the court said.

Counsel for Petitioner: Mr. G.K. Sachdeva, Advocate

Counsel for Respondents: Mr. Preet Pal Singh, Advocate for R1/BCI; Mr. Subrodeep Saha for Ms. Monika Arora, Advocate for R2

Title: VASU SACHDEVA v. BAR COUNCIL OF INDIA AND ORS

Citation: 2024 LiveLaw (Del) 629

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