Don't deny enrolment on attendance shortage: BCI to universities

The Bar Council of India (BCI) has ordered Delhi University and all law schools to process enrolments for graduates with attendance shortages, as protected by a Supreme Court order. This one-time relief applies nationwide to a specific batch.

The Bar Council of India (BCI) has directed the University of Delhi to process enrolment applications of law graduates covered by a recent Supreme Court order and not reject them only because of an attendance shortage.

The order will apply uniformly to similarly placed candidates across India and is not limited to students of Delhi University's Campus Law Centre, Law Centre-I, or Law Centre-II. The BCI has circulated the order to all State Bar Councils, recognised universities, and approved Centres of Legal Education for necessary action. The arrangement will remain subject to any further or final order of the Supreme Court.

Background and Supreme Court Intervention

The direction came after the BCI received representations from students of Delhi University's Faculty of Law who had been allowed to continue their courses and appear in examinations despite attendance-related issues. The students later faced difficulties in getting the attendance or Attendance-cum-Character Certificate required for enrolment as advocates.

In its August 12 order, the BCI's Legal Education Committee, headed by former Delhi High Court Chief Justice Justice Rajendra Menon, said the Supreme Court had, in its July 21 order, provided one-time protection to students whose academic sessions were continuing when the Delhi High Court had delivered its November 3, 2025 judgment on attendance requirements. The Supreme Court had directed that such students should not be stopped from appearing in their final examinations because of an attendance shortage. Students who could not appear fully or partly in their final examination were also permitted to take the supplementary examination for that academic session.

Clarification on Enrolment Post-Ruling

The BCI has now clarified that the same attendance shortage should not be used later to deny enrolment to a student who falls within the class protected by the Supreme Court order. However, the BCI made it clear that the benefit is limited to the students and academic sessions covered by the Supreme Court's July 21 order. It does not relax the attendance rules for future batches.

Procedural Directives for Universities and Bar Councils

Under the arrangement, a candidate must have been admitted to a recognised LL.B programme, been permitted to appear in the relevant final or supplementary examination, successfully completed the LL.B course, and fulfilled all other statutory requirements for enrolment.

The BCI said universities and law centres need not change or rewrite historical attendance records. Instead, they can issue an alternative certificate confirming that the candidate falls within the protected category and has successfully completed the LL.B programme. The BCI has also directed State Bar Councils to process enrolment applications of such candidates without insisting on the usual attendance certificate where the shortage relates only to the academic session protected by the Supreme Court.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)