The All India Bar Examination (AIBE) conducted by Bar Council of India previously could only be applied by law graduates. This has now changed.
The Honourable Supreme Court on Friday directed the BCI to comply with its judgement to allow the final year students pursuing law to register and appear for AIBE. The BCI has assured it would frame the rules for the same within 4-6 weeks. The Bench comprising of Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud and Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, was hearing a petition filed by final year law students from Delhi University challenging the BCI’s notification on AIBE XIX excluding them from writing the examination before graduation as it was contrary to the judgement passed in Bar Council of India v. Bonnie Foi Law College & Ors [2023 LiveLaw (SC) 96]. While passing an interim order, the Bench mentioned that the petitioners should not lose a year and that this order was applicable to all final year law students.
As per para no. 38 of the 2023 judgement – ‘Students who have cleared all examinations to be eligible to pursue the final semester of the final year course of law, on production of proof of the same, could be allowed to take the All India Bar Examination. The result of the All India Bar Examination would be subject to the person passing all the components required under the course of study of the University/College. This would be subject to the All India Bar Examination results being valid for a specified period of time‘. All final year law students eligible as per this judgement would be thus, be able to appear in AIBE XIX.
As per the current notification the last date for application is 25 October 2024 and the date of the examination is 24 November 2024.
(Interim order passed in Nilai Rai Vs. BCI & Ors. W.P.(C)No 577 of 2024)
