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Thursday March 28, 2024

LLB course to take at least five years from now

By Sohail Khan
January 24, 2016

No more than 100 students to be enrolled in first year by a university or law college; only morning classes to be held; PBC promulgates Pakistan Bar Council Legal Education Rules 2015

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Bar Council (PBC) has promulgated the Pakistan Bar Council Legal Education Rules 2015 and asked all the universities in the country imparting legal education to implement it in letter and spirit.

In a letter addressed to registrars of all the universities in Pakistan imparting legal education, Muhammad Arshad, Secretary Pakistan Bar Council, informed that the Legal Education Rules 2015 have been promulgated in view of the deteriorating standard and quality of legal education because of the mushroom growth of law colleges and even universities in the private sector, an has comprehensively reviewed its previous Pakistan Bar Council Legal Education Rules of 1978 as well as the Rules regarding Affiliation of Law Colleges and PBC (Recognition of Universities) Rules, 2015 consolidating the same in one set of rules.

According to the promulgated Pakistan Bar Council Legal Education Rules 2015, the duration of the LLB course shall not be less than 5 years while no further admission to LLB (3 years programme) will be given by any university/Law College. However, the present 3 years LLB programme shall be discontinued after 3 years of enforcement of these Rules.

Further, the number of students admitted in the first year LLB programme by a university/Law College shall not be more than 100 and there will be be only morning classes and no evening class shall be permissible. However, the afternoon/evening classes being presently conducted by a university/law college shall continue only till the completion of 3 years or 5 years LLB courses of concerned students. 

Moreover, a university/law college intending to impart legal education at the level of LL M/PhD shall have to seek prior permission/approval of the Pakistan Bar Council and the Higher Education Commission. 

A university/law college already offering LLM/PhD will have to seek ratification/approval of their said programme from the Pakistan Bar Council and Higher Education Commission within six months of promulgation of these Rules.

Similarly, no university or degree awarding institution will affiliate any law college after enforcement of these rules.

The universities/degree awarding institutions imparting legal education, shall certify and inform the Pakistan Bar Council, in writing, at the start of every academic year that each and every private law college affiliated with them, is implementing and adhering to these rules in letter and spirit; and no college/institution shall operate for imparting legal education under international/external/Distance Learning Programme of any foreign university without getting No Objection Certificate (NOC) form the Pakistan Bar Council. However, the colleges/institutions already doing so, shall approach the Pakistan Bar Council for issuance of No Objection Certificate (NOC) within six months of coming into force of these rules.

Likewise, no college/institution will operate for imparting legal education under International/External/Distance Learning Programme of any foreign university without getting No Objection Certificate (NOC) form the Pakistan Bar Council. However, the colleges/institutions already doing so, shall approach the Pakistan Bar Council for issuance of No Objection Certificate (NOC) within six months of coming into force of these rules.

The Pakistan Bar Council requested the Registrars of all the universities and Law Colleges to make concerted efforts for enhancing the standard and quality of legal education and sought cooperation in implementing the “Pakistan Bar Council Legal Education Rules, 2015” in letter and spirit.