SC notice to BCI

SC notice to BCI on banning admission of those above 30 in law colleges
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday issued notice to Bar Council of India (BCI), the regulator of legal education and conduct of lawyers, on a petition challenging its decision not to admit students in Bachelor of Law (LLB) courses if they were older than 30 years.

A Bench comprising Justices R V Raveendran and R M Lodha sought the response of BCI to a petition filed by M Santosh Vareed, who alleged that he was denied admission to the three-year LLB course in Tamil Nadu Dr Ambedkar Law University for the year 2009-10 because he did not fulfil the age criteria by just eight days.

The Madras High Court had dismissed his petition saying the new BCI rule was a welcome step to enhance the standard and quality of legal education and suggested that to attract serious students, the three-year LLB course should gradually be scrapped and give way to a five-year course.