Parthasarathi Loganathan (Advocate) 22 February 2010

Bar Council of India Regulations

Since neither Advocate's Act and Regulation of Bar Council of India are silent about enrollment in Bar Council as Advocate by a candidate who has completed 2 Years Degree course in General Laws (B.G.L.) as a full time student in Madras Law College (Under University of Madras) and thereafter completed L.LM. Degree course from a Bar Council of India recognized University through Distant Learning Programme. In fact, upto the years during 1960s, B.L. Degree was a two year course only undertaken after graduation. Please advise whether the candidate is entitled for enrollment in Bar Council?

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Suchitra. S (Advocate) 22 February 2010

Sir, Bar Council of India in its first chapter says one who has got a bachelor's degree in law can be a member of BCI. The definition is as under:

(vi) “Bachelor degree in law” means and includes a degree in law conferred by the University recognized by the Bar Council of India for the purpose of the Act and includes a bachelor degree in law after any bachelor degree in science, arts, commerce, engineering, medicine, or any other discipline of a University for a period of study not less than three years or an integrated bachelor degree combining the course of a first bachelor degree in any subject and also the law running together in concert and compression for not less than a period of five years after 10+2 or 11+1 courses as the case may be.

So, the definition doesnt include a graduate who has done two year's course.

Parthasarathi Loganathan (Advocate) 22 February 2010

Am I right to intrepret that any candidate who has studied for a total period of seven years, ie three years in B.Sc. Degree ,Two years in B.G.L. Degree as a Regular Day scholar and two years in L.LM. Degree through distance learning program IS ELIGIBLE to enrol in the Bar Council to practice as an Advocate? Please check up and advise.