BCI issues notice for students' criminal background checks, attendance compliance at law schools

The notice has been issued in response to judicial observations regarding the need to monitor students' backgrounds and ensure transparency and accountability.

The Bar Council of India on Tuesday asked law schools to immediately implement several regulatory measures, including a system to check students' criminal backgrounds, attendance compliance, CCTV monitoring at institutes, and student declarations regarding their academic pursuits and employment status.

Bar Council of India issues notice for students' criminal background checks and attendance compliance at law schools (barcouncilofindia.org)

The notification has been issued in response to judicial observations regarding the need to monitor the backgrounds of law students and to ensure transparency and accountability in attendance and conduct.

To uphold the ethical standards of the profession, law students must maintain a clean criminal record. “All law students are now required to declare any ongoing FIR, criminal case, conviction, or acquittal before the issuance of their final marksheets and degrees,” the council said.

Further, they must declare that they are not pursuing any other regular academic programme along with their LLB degree, except for short-term, part-time certificate courses such as language or computer applications. However, they are allowed to pursue distance learning programmes.

Students are not allowed to be engaged in any job, service or vocation during the course of their LLB degree, unless they have obtained a valid NOC (No Objection Certificate), BCI said.

“It is made clear that no one will be allowed to be enrolled in any State Bar Council, if he/she fails to inform the Bar Council of India and obtain NOC from his/her employer.”

The institutes must wait for the BCI's decision before awarding degrees to such students. Strict disciplinary action will be taken against students and institutes that do not comply, it added.

The council has asked all centres of legal education to install biometric attendance systems and to ensure accurate monitoring of student attendance.

BCI said CCTV cameras must be installed in classrooms and other key areas, and the recordings must be preserved for one year to support any necessary verification or investigation related to attendance and student conduct.

Students who do not disclose their background, simultaneous degree status, or employment details will face academic and legal consequences, including the withholding of mark sheets and degrees.

Institutions failing to enforce these measures will face disciplinary actions, including de-recognition or disapproval of affiliation, BCI said.