All Final Year LLB Students Eligibile To Appear For AIBE, Supreme Court Orders Bar Council of India

New Delhi: Supreme Court on Friday ordered that all final-year law students are eligible to appear in All-India Bar Examination (AIBE) 2024 scheduled to be held on vember 24. bench led by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud heard a petition challenging decision of Bar Council of India to refrain final-year law students from applying for AIBE, an exam held to award licenses to law gruates for practising in Indian courts. court n passed interim order providing a major relief to LLB students across country. 

9 LLB students at Campus Law Centre and Law centre-1, Faculty of Law, University of Delhi who filed petition, argued that this prohibition on final year law students from appearing for AIBE was contrary to dictum of Constitution bench of Supreme Court in Bar Council of India vs. Bonnie Foi Law College.

During hearing, BCI submitted that y needed time to frame rules regarding final year law students, to which, bench said that y could take time to frame rules but ensure that final-year law students do t lose a year. 

"We direct that BCI shall permit registration of all students who fall within ambit of Paragraph 38 of Bonnie Foi Decision. above direction to operate in rem for AIBE scheduled for vember 24," bench observed in order.

In Bonnie Foi Law College decision, Constitution Bench observed, “We are inclined to accept suggestion from learned Amicus that students who have cleared all examinations to be eligible to pursue final semester of final year course of law, on production of proof of same, could be allowed to take All India Bar Examination. result of All India Bar Examination would be subject to person passing all components required under course of study of University/College. This would be subject to All India Bar Examination results being valid for a specified period of time.”

"This judgment was delivered in February 2023, what was BCI doing!", CJI asked BCI counsel in response.