The Supreme Court has directed the Bar Council of India (BCI) to permit final year law students to register for the All India Bar Examination (AIBE) XIX, scheduled for November. This decision was made during the hearing of a petition by Mr.Nilay Rai, Mr. Prince Singh, Mr. Vishnu Kant and six other final-year law students from Delhi University, challenging the BCI's recent notification that barred them from taking the AIBE before graduation.
A Bench led by Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud, alongside Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, highlighted concerns over the BCI's delays. CJI Chandrachud noted, "The Constitution Bench judgment is from 2023, and yet you are taking your own time. You have twelve weeks to create rules, but you must comply with our judgment."
The BCI had indicated to the court that it was in the process of drafting these rules but was reminded that the upcoming exam deadlines made it imperative to act swiftly. The Court emphasized that it would be unfair to deny eligible students the opportunity to register, particularly given the impending exam date of November 25, with applications closing on October 25.
The Court's ruling aligns with a prior Constitution Bench decision affirming that students who have cleared all examinations required for their final semester should be eligible to sit for the AIBE, subject to them passing all necessary components of their law course.