85% of law colleges must close: HC

A Subramani| TNN | Oct 14, 2017, 10:46 IST




CHENNAI: If the Madras HC has its way, about 85% of 1,200 law colleges in the country will have to be closed to maintain sanctity of the legal profession.

Kangaroo court menace by briefless lawyers is due to 'letter pad' law colleges in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka that churn out law graduates in thousands, said the court, adding that the number of law colleges in India should be brought around 175 from the existing 1,200plus as suggested by the former chairman of Bar Council of India Gopal Subramanium.

Justice N Kirubakaran, pained that two groups of lawyers were engaged recently by Sriperumpudur-based Annai Medical College to take physical possession of the premises, said: "A large number of candidates had purchased law degrees from the letter pad colleges functioning in the bordering states of TN -Karnataka and AP. These people do not practise before the court. They prefer only to indulge in "katta panchayat" under the guise of resolving the civil disputes."

"In 2014, for every three da ys, the BCI approved one new college. Instead of bringing excellence in legal education, BCI had institutionalised mediocrity," the judge said.

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Holding BCI responsible for indiscriminate permissions given for new law colleges, the judge said that in 2010 itself Gopal Subramanium had said that the requirement of law colleges in India was only 175. At that time, the nation had only 800 colleges. However, between 2012 and 2014, the number of law colleges rose to 1,200, pointed out Justice Kirubakaran.On what basis the BCI granted approval for so many colleges, he asked, adding: "Is there any survey conducted by BCI or Union ministry of law and jus tice to know the actual requirement of lawyers in the society to decide about the number of law colleges, according to the demand?" Why should AP and Karnataka have 200 and 125 law colleges respectively, asked the judge, adding: "Many persons, without even attending the colleges, are able to get law degrees in absentia and some of them are using those degrees only as a shield to hide their criminal activities and many incidents have occurred in TN in which many persons with bogus degrees are accused of so many offences and even found to be murdered."

In this regard, Justice Kirubakaran said time had come for the BCI to make biometric attendance system mandatory in law colleges and also create a centralised portal containing the details of the teaching staff available in law collegesinstitutions throughout India. BCI should also emulate the Institute of Chartered Accountants in India, and allow only 7 to 8% pass in qualifying examinations conducted by it. Blaming the BCI and the Bar Council of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry for the plight of briefless lawyers, the judge said: "The present situation has arisen because persons who possess law degrees do not have any briefs in their hands. Hence, they are constrained to indulge in these kinds of criminal activities."