Today, 10th April, The Bombay High Court asked the Bar Council of India (BCI) and Mumbai University to respond to a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) regarding the enforcement of a 75 percent attendance rule in law colleges. The PIL aims to ensure students’ regular attendance in law institutions for academic integrity. The court’s move signifies a push for accountability and adherence to attendance norms in legal education.
Mumbai: On Wednesday, the Bombay High Court requested feedback from Mumbai University (MU) and the Bar Council of India (BCI) regarding a public interest litigation (PIL) that advocates for enforcing the compulsory 75% attendance rule in Mumbai University (MU) affiliated law colleges.
A law college faculty member’s PIL brought attention to the enduring problem of law students in Mumbai skipping classes to pursue long-term internships at law firms.
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According to the plea,
“Numerous students fail to fulfill the obligatory 75% attendance criterion as mandated by ordinance 6086 of MU. The insufficient attendance is mainly due to students engaging in internships with law firms or working while pursuing their legal degrees, exacerbated by the inaction of law colleges and university authorities in implementing attendance regulations.”
A division bench consisting of Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice AS Doctor issued notices to Mumbai University (MU), the Bar Council of India (BCI), and the University Grants Commission (UGC), seeking responses from them regarding the petition.
The petitioner, Sharmila Ghuge, alleged ‘widespread violation’ of attendance rules in Mumbai law colleges and urged MU to enforce the mandatory 75% attendance requirements for students in both three and five-year law programs.
Ghuge claimed to make multiple appeals to BCI, MU, and UGC regarding this issue but received insufficient responses. Consequently, she approached the High Court after UGC directed MU to address the matter without tangible results.
The petition, presented through Advocate Shyam Dewani, highlighted a significant drop in attendance within the initial weeks of the academic year, emphasizing the need for stricter enforcement.
The petition also calls for BCI to consider implementing long-term internship proposals to encourage students to attend classes.
Furthermore, it advocates for disciplinary actions against students and institutions failing to meet attendance criteria and stresses the importance of regular inspections and evaluations of law colleges under MU.
The court is set to review the petition again on June 19th.