Law aspirants challenge age limit in HC

MUMBAI: With at least two petitions challenging the age limit imposed on law aspirants filed in Bombay high court (HC) last week, the issue has become a bone of

MUMBAI: With at least two petitions challenging the age limit imposed on law aspirants filed in Bombay high court (HC) last week, the issue has become a bone of contention between law aspirants and the Bar Council of India (BCI), the apex regulatory body for legal education.

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The limit was first introduced by BCI in 2008, as part of Rules on Standards of Legal Education (Rules). Clause 28 of the rules states that the maximum age for seeking admission in an integrated bachelor of law degree programme — which is usually a five-year programme offered after Class 12 , is 20 years (22 years for reserved category) and the maximum age for admission in the three-year LLB programme, offered after graduation, is 30 years (35 years for reserved category students).

“Law was looked at as the last resort [by those pursuing higher education]. We wanted students to be as serious and focused towards legal education as they would be towards other streams,” said Manan Mishra, president, BCI.

At a time when law has emerged as a popular choice as a professional course, there appears to be a consensus among lawyers, teachers and students that the age-limit serves no purpose. They said that the rule is unfair to many who decide to study and practice law at a later stage of life.

“Why should the BCI impose any restriction on acquiring legal education?” said Ashok Yende, incharge director, Mumbai University’s Law Academy.