The Bar Council of India (BCI) has issued a directive mandating several measures to ensure compliance and ethical standards in all Centers of Legal Education (CLEs). Key requirements include criminal background checks for law students, declarations regarding simultaneous academic programs, employment status, and attendance compliance. Law students are now required to disclose any pending or closed criminal cases before receiving their final marksheet and degree, with non-disclosure leading to penalties. CLEs must also implement biometric attendance systems and install CCTV cameras in classrooms to monitor student attendance and conduct. Law students must declare that they are not enrolled in simultaneous degree programs, apart from approved short-term certificate courses. Additionally, students are required to disclose any employment during their studies and must obtain a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from their employer. Failure to comply with these requirements will result in withholding of the student’s marksheet and degree, as well as potential disciplinary action against the institution. The BCI has also emphasized that any breach of these mandates by CLEs will lead to severe consequences, including de-recognition. These measures aim to uphold the integrity and ethical standards expected within the legal profession, ensuring that graduates meet the highest moral and academic criteria.
Bar Council of India (BCI
BCI:D:5186/2024 (LE Circular No.13/2024)
Date: 24.09.2024
To,
The Vice-Chancellors/Registrars of Universities/Centers of Legal Education Issuing Law Degrees
The Deans, Faculty of Law, Principals/Heads of Departments of Law Colleges and Centers of Legal Education
All Law Degree Students
Sub.: Implementation of Criminal Background Check System, Declaration Regarding Simultaneous Degree and/or regular Academic Programs, Employment status, Attendance Compliance, and Biometric Attendance, & Installation of CCTV cameras, in all Centers of Legal Education.
Sir/Ma’am,
The Bar Council of India, in response to judicial observations regarding the need to monitor the antecedents and backgrounds of law students, hereby issues this notification for the immediate implementation of a Criminal Background Check System and mandates declarations concerning the pursuit of simultaneous degrees, employment status, and attendance compliance in all Centers of Legal Education (CLEs).
Additionally, CLEs are required to incorporate biometric attendance systems and install CCTV cameras in classrooms to ensure transparency and accountability in attendance and conduct.
Mandatory Declarations by Law Students
1. Criminal Background Check
To uphold the ethical standards of the legal profession, law students must maintain a clean criminal record. All law students are now required to declare any ongoing FIR, criminal case, conviction, or acquittal before the issuance of their final marksheets and degrees. Failure to disclose such information will result in strict disciplinary action, including the withholding of final marksheet and degree.
All such cases must be reported to the BCI via email at [email protected] with the subject line- Criminal Background Check Report at (Name of CLE). The CLE must await the BCI’s decision before issuing the final marksheet and degree to the student.
2. Simultaneous Degree and/or regular academic Programs
In accordance with Chapter II, Rule 6 of the Rules of Legal Education (2008), students are prohibited from pursuing more than one regular degree program simultaneously. Law students must declare that they have not pursued any other regular academic program while pursuing their LL.B. degree, except for short-term, part-time certificate courses in areas such as language or computer applications, or programs offered through distance learning, as allowed under the rules.
Any student found violating this rule should not be issued the final marksheet or degree by the CLE.
3. Employment Status and Attendance Compliance
Students must declare that they were not engaged in any job, service, or vocation during the course of their LL.B. degree unless they had obtained a valid No Objection Certificate (NOC). Proof of compliance with the attendance norms must also be provided, as per Rule 12 of the Rules of Legal Education.
All such cases of employment must be reported to the BCI via email at [email protected] with the subject heading- Student of (CLE) Employment/Vocation Status During LL.B Degree Course. It is made clear that no one will be allowed to be enrolled in any State Bar Council, if he/she fails to inform the Bar Council of India and obtain NOC from his/her employer.
The CLE must await the BCI’s decision before issuing the final marksheet and degree to such candidates/student/s. Failure to report employment status will result in the withholding of the final mark sheet & degree, and strict disciplinary action will be taken against the student and CLE both for non-compliance.
4. Biometric Attendance and CCTV Surveillance
All CLEs are required to install biometric attendance systems to ensure accurate monitoring of student attendance. Furthermore, CCTV cameras must be installed in classrooms and other key areas of the institution. The recordings from these cameras must be preserved for a period of one year to support any necessary verification or investigation related to attendance and student conduct.
Criminal Background Verification Process
CLEs must conduct a thorough criminal background check on each student before issuing the final marksheets and degrees. Any involvement in criminal cases must be reported to the Bar Council of India, and institutions must await the BCI’s decision before issuing the final marksheets or degrees.
Institutional Compliance and Penalties
All CLEs are expected to comply with these directions immediately.
Students who fail to disclose their criminal background, simultaneous degree status, or employment details will face academic and legal consequences, including the withholding of their marksheets and degrees.
Institutions failing to enforce these mandates will face disciplinary actions, including de-recognition or disapproval of affiliation by the BCI.
Any breach of these requirements will result in severe academic and legal penalties.
Students must submit an undertaking that confirms compliance with criminal background disclosure, simultaneous degree rules, employment status, and attendance norms. This declaration must be provided before the issuance of final marksheets and degrees.
UNDERTAKING BY STUDENT
(Criminal Background Disclosure, Simultaneous Degree, Employment Status, and Attendance Compliance Before Final Marksheet and Degree)
I, …………………………………………………………………………… (Full Name), S/o or D/o ………………………………………………………… (Parent’s Name), a student of ……………………………………………………… (Course Name, Year), at …………………………………………………………………………… (College and University Name), hereby declare and undertake as follows:
1. I confirm that I have no pending or closed FIR, criminal case, conviction, or acquittal before the issuance of my final marksheet and degree.
If yes, provide details:
………………………………………………………………………………………………
2. I declare that I have not pursued any other degree, regular academic program/diploma/certificate simultaneously while pursuing my LL.B. degree, in accordance with Chapter II, Rule 6 of the Rules of Legal Education.
– If yes, I confirm that it was either part of an integrated dual degree program offered by the same institution, or a permitted short-term, part-time certificate course on language, computer science or computer application of an institute or any course run by a Centre for Distance Learning of a University. Provide details: ………………………………………………………
3. I declare that I was not engaged in any job, service, or vocation during the course of my LL.B. studies.
– If employed, I confirm that I obtained a valid No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the concerned authority, and my employment did not interfere with my attendance requirements as per Rule 12 of the BCI Rules of Legal Education. Provide details and attach NOC if applicable: ………………… …………………………………………………………………………
4. I understand that any failure to disclose or falsely disclosing my criminal background, simultaneous academic pursuits, or employment status will result in strict disciplinary action, including the withholding of my final marksheet and degree, and may also invite legal penalties.
Signature: _________________
Name: _________________
S/O, D/O: _________________
Course: _________________
Year: __________________
Date: __________________
Aadhaar Number (Copy enclosed): ____________________________
The legal profession demands the highest standards of ethics, integrity, and accountability.
The Bar Council of India expects full cooperation from all CLEs and law students in implementing these directives to ensure that the sanctity of the legal profession is upheld by individuals of the highest moral standing and academic merit.
(Srimanto Sen)
Secretary,
Bar Council of India
