A Public Interest Litigation ( PIL ) filed in the Supreme Court has called for a 3-year law degree program to be made available after higher secondary studies (+2/12th Standard). Currently, the LL.B course, which students can pursue after completing 12th grade, spans 5 years.
The plea argues that the 5-year duration for LL.B is “unreasonable and irrational,” noting that a 3-year law degree is only accessible to graduates. Advocate Ashwini Upadhyay, who filed the petition, urged the Centre and Bar Council of India to establish an Expert Committee to assess the feasibility of introducing a 3-Year Bachelor of Law program after 12th Standard, akin to Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Commerce, and Bachelor of Arts courses.
According to the petitioner, students can effectively cover 15-20 subjects within 3 years (or 6 semesters). Therefore, the current 5-year duration (10 semesters) for the Bachelor of Law Course is deemed excessive and arbitrary, potentially violating Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution. The petition argues that the prolonged duration is unnecessary for obtaining a Bachelor’s degree, burdens students financially, and is not conducive to optimal learning.
The petitioner emphasized that reducing the course duration to 3 years would afford students an additional 2 years of practical court experience. Examples like Ram Jethmalani starting law practice at 18 and Fali S Nariman completing law studies at 21 were cited to highlight the potential for students to enter their profession earlier if the duration is shortened.
The petitioner questioned why students should spend two extra years in college instead of beginning their careers in their early twenties. The petition further emphasized the disparity in duration between law degrees and other undergraduate programs, advocating for a streamlined approach similar to Bachelor of Arts, Commerce, and Science degrees awarded immediately after 12th grade.
The petitioner also urged the Court to expedite a decision, considering that admissions for new courses commence in May-June.
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