Daijiworld Media Network - Mumbai

Mumbai, Apr 2: The Bombay High Court has ruled that the Bar Council of India’s (BCI) power to inspect law schools is essential to maintaining education standards, dismissing a petition filed by SNDT Women's University Law School that challenged a proposed inspection in 2018.

A division bench of Chief Justice Abhay Aradhe and Justice M S Karnik stated that the BCI’s notice to SNDT was neither arbitrary nor illegal. The court clarified that BCI is free to form a new inspection committee if needed.

The HC emphasized that the Advocates Act, 1961, grants BCI authority to promote and regulate legal education. SNDT had contested certain provisions of the BCI’s Legal Education Rules, 2008, arguing they exceeded the council’s mandate. However, the court upheld the rules, stating they set necessary minimum standards for law institutions.

The court rejected SNDT's claim of immunity from inspection, affirming that BCI has the right to oversee law schools. The case was argued by senior counsel Milind Sathe as amicus curiae, Nitin Chaudhary for SNDT, AGP Jyoti Chavan for the state, and Advocate Shekhar Jagtap for BCI.