Govt plans national consultation for legal reforms

New Delhi, Apr 21 (PTI) In an effort to bring legal
education in India in tune with global trends, the Government
plans to hold a national consultation to usher in second
generation of reforms in the sector.

"The national consultation will try to identify the major
challenges legal education is facing. We will also try to draw
a roadmap to bring radical institutional reforms in legal
education to meet the requirements of the Bar and also of
trade, commerce and industry as the legal profession today has
international dimensions," Indian Law Minister M Veerappa
Moily said at a press conference here in the national capital.
He said though the Bar Council of India had made rules to
regulate legal education in the country under the Advocates
Act, 1961, the laid down standards do not meet the present day
requirements of the legal profession. The Bar Council is
considered as a regulator of legal education in the country.
To a question on differences in "controlling" legal
education, Moily denied any differences with the HRD Ministry
on the issue.
"There is no conflict of interest," Moily said adding
that the process of inter-ministerial consultations was on.
"In fact Mr Sibal (HRD Minister) is also attending the
consultations," he said.
He was asked to comment the emphasis of the Law Ministry
on the role of Bar Council in legal education and the proposed
National Commission for Higher Education Bill of the HRD
ministry which says that the Bar Council will have no role in
legal education.
The Law Minister stressed that the Bar council of India
was "very much with the Government" in reforming legal
education and said differing views will help bring out the
best. "For amrit (nectar), you need samudra manthan (churning
of the sea)," he said.
To a poser on the stand of the government on entry of
foreign legal firms in the country, he said the issue was
pending before two High Courts and said the "best decision"
will come.
At present, professional legal education is imparted by
913 colleges recognised by the Bar Council of India and 14
National Law Universities established under various state
Acts.
"Due to unprecedented and fast changes in the society and
economy, the law curriculum lags behind and is not reflective
of the knowledge and skills required of legally trained
persons," Moily said.
The issue of how does the curriculum reflects itself in
syllabi and teaching plans will be the highlight of the
consultation, he added. PTI NAB
AHM