SC Questions BCI’s Role in Law Curriculum, Calls for Academicians' Control

The Supreme Court questioned the Bar Council of India's control over legal education, especially its power to frame LL.M. curricula.

The Bench was hearing a petition challenging the BCI's 2021 decision to scrap the one-year LL.M. programme in India and de-recognise foreign LL.Ms.

The Court noted academicians, not regulators, should shape academic content. The judge also expressed dissatisfaction with the quality of judicial officers. 

Justice Surya Kant stated that the BCI should focus on lawyer welfare and practical training, not academics. The Court sought responses from the Centre and UGC and urged the inclusion of Vice-Chancellors in curriculum decisions.

Comparing BCI to medical councils, it noted: “Regulation doesn’t mean complete control.”