The plea has been filed by Mr. Nilay Rai, Mr. Prince Singh, Mr. Vishnu Kant, and six other final-year law students from Delhi University's Campus Law Centre. The Bench, led by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud and comprising Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, is set to hear the matter on Friday, September 13.
The petitioners argue that the BCI's notification contradicts a Supreme Court decision in Bar Council of India v. Bonnie FOI Law College, where a Constitution Bench observed that final semester students should be permitted to sit for the AIBE, subject to completing their law degrees. The Court had also directed the BCI to hold the exam twice a year.
In their plea, the petitioners contend that the notification bars them from appearing in the upcoming AIBE, causing a loss of valuable time in advancing their professional careers. They argue that the notification is arbitrary and unreasonable, as it disregards the varying schedules of universities in declaring results, particularly disadvantaging students whose results are delayed.
The primary reliefs sought by the petitioners include (1) quashing the BCI notification, (2) allowing final semester students to appear in the upcoming exam, and (3) an interim stay on the impugned notification.
The petition has been filed with the assistance of Advocate on Record A. Velan and Advocate Navpreet Kaur.
Case Details: Nilay Rai & Ors v. Bar Council of India | W.P.(C) No. 577 of 2024.