Date: 21.02.2023
Notification relating to Recognition by Bar Council of India of Foreign Universities imparting Legal Education and issuing Law Degrees and Equivalence of Law Degrees by Bar Council of India of Law Degrees obtained from Foreign Universities by Indian Citizens.
This is to notify that any Law Degree obtained by an Indian citizen from a foreign University, not recognized by the Bar Council of India, 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 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 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 them 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.
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 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 years or 2 years of Bridge Degree Course in accordance to the deficient years from 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 such deficiency by pursuing 2 years of Bridge course from India as stated above. 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 Degrees 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.
It may also be noted that in India, the prerequisite for pursuing/getting admitted into a LL.M degree course is a valid LL.B degree, duly recognised by the Bar Council of India. If the LL.B degree is obtained from any foreign University, the said degree holder has to first undergo the process of equivalence of his foreign Law Degree by the Bar Council of India before such degree holder can pursue any post LL.B degree education/qualification.
(Srimanto Sen)
Secretary
Bar Council of India
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