In a notification issued on Tuesday, the Bar Council of India ( BCI ) mandated the immediate implementation of a Criminal Background Check System and compulsory declarations regarding simultaneous degree pursuits, employment status, and attendance compliance in all Centres of Legal Education (CLEs).
Read More Here: Implementation of Criminal Background Check System in all Centers of Legal Education | Bar Council of India
Mandatory Declarations by Students
The BCI emphasised that law students must uphold ethical standards by maintaining a clean criminal record. All law students are now required to declare any ongoing FIRs, criminal cases, convictions, or acquittals before receiving their final mark sheets and degrees. Failure to disclose such information will result in disciplinary action, including withholding of the final marksheet and degree.
CLEs are required to report all such cases to the BCI via email with the subject line “Criminal Background Check Report” followed by the name of the CLE, and must await BCI’s decision before issuing final mark sheets and degrees.
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Simultaneous Degree/Programs
The notification reiterates that, per Rule 6 of the Rules of Legal Education (2008), students are prohibited from pursuing more than one regular degree program simultaneously. Law students must declare that they have not pursued any other regular academic program during their LL.B., except for short-term, part-time certificate courses or distance learning programs, as allowed by the rules. Any violation will result in withholding of the final marksheet or degree.
Employment Status and Attendance Compliance
The BCI also requires students to declare that they were not employed during their LL.B. studies unless they obtained a valid No Objection Certificate ( NOC ). Compliance with attendance norms, as per Rule 12 of the Rules of Legal Education, must also be demonstrated. Failure to report employment or attendance issues will result in the withholding of the final marksheet and degree, and disciplinary action against both the student and the CLE.
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Biometric Attendance and CCTV Surveillance
CLEs are required to install biometric attendance systems to accurately monitor student attendance and set up CCTV cameras in classrooms and key areas. Recordings must be preserved for one year to aid in any necessary investigations.
Criminal Background Verification
CLEs are mandated to conduct thorough criminal background checks on students before issuing final mark sheets and degrees. Any involvement in criminal cases must be reported to the BCI, and CLEs must wait for a decision before proceeding with degree issuance.
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The BCI highlighted that CLEs must comply immediately, warning that students failing to disclose criminal records, simultaneous degree status, or employment details would face academic and legal penalties, including withholding of their marksheets and degrees. Non-compliant institutions risk disciplinary action, including de-recognition or loss of affiliation.
Students must submit an undertaking confirming compliance with criminal background checks, simultaneous degree rules, employment status, and attendance norms before receiving their final mark sheets and degrees.
The BCI also issued two additional notifications. One requires CLEs seeking provisional affiliation approval for the academic year to submit specific documents, including scanned and self-attested copies of university affiliation, fee receipts, and previous approval letters.
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The other clarifies legal and regulatory requirements governing collaborations between Indian law institutions and foreign universities, specifically for dual and joint degree programs.
The Bar Council, under the Advocates Act, has exclusive authority to regulate legal education, and prior approval is required for any such collaborative programs. Institutions currently offering or negotiating these programs must halt activities until formal approval is granted.
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