ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court reduced the duration of LLB programme from five to four years. A five-judge constitutional bench, headed by Justice Aminuddin Khan, on Wednesday, heard the petition of Pakistan Bar Council (PBC) regarding legal education reforms.
The court accepted the application of PBC to suspend the Special Equivalence Examination (SEE-LAW) for law graduates of foreign universities, whose applications are pending for enrolment, as the same was discriminatory and added an extra burden on foreign law degree holders as they already have appeared for LAW-GAT.
The court also approved the request of the PBC, Directorate of Legal Education (DLE) and Higher Education Commission, to reduce the duration of LLB programme from five to four years in line with all other undergraduate degrees.
Legal Education Committee of PBC in 2016 had amended “Pakistan Bar Council Legal Education Rules, 2015”. Under the Rules the Universities imparting Legal Education, are required to give admissions for academic year 2016-17 and thereafter, on the basis 5 years LLB programme, instead of 3 years LLB programme which after promulgation of the “Pakistan Bar Council Legal Education Rules, 2015” in December, 2015, stands abolished.
The committee called upon all the universities imparting legal education to ensure that admission to LLB classes for the academic year 2016-17, must be made on the basis of 5 years LLB programme, as required under the Rules and in case of failure on the part of any University to do so, will render the University concerned to an action which may extend even to its de-recognition.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025